what you gain when you lose
by Emmaline Black
Summary: what will happen when valkyrie is taken from skullduggery and took to the past. 1605 to be exact. Will old ghost be awoken and what will happen to the great detective duo. Find out in What you gain when you lose.
1. Just like old times

Chapter One: Just like old times

It had been sixteen years since they had last saw each other. After china had sent Valkyrie to work for the American sanctuary and had kept Skulduggery in Ireland they had barely been able to talk to each other on the phone. Valkyrie's appearance hadn't changed a lot. She was taller probably about the same height as Skulduggery. She had cut her long black hair shorter to where it was barely below her shoulder blades. Other than that everything was the same except she was wearing mortal clothes,

Her time of working as head detective in the American sanctuary was over, she was headed home. She had called Fletcher Renn that morning and asked him to meet her in front of the sanctuary at 3:00 that afternoon. She asked him to keep it secret from the others, especially Skulduggery, because she wanted it to be a surprise. She was excited to see him again but not as much as skulduggery.

As Valkyrie thought about what was to come that day she threw her clothes into a black suitcase that sat on the bed. She went to throw a pair of jeans on top of the huge pile atop the bed and she jumped as the suitcase hit the floor. She leaned down to pick it up and started singing with the music playing on her phone as she folded the clothes up neatly and stacked them back into the suitcase. When she was finished she zipped her suitcase and grabbed her phone. She did a quick glance through the apartment and then walked out the door.

As she walked down the stairway to the street she dug through her bag trying to find her earphones, she found them and plugged them into her phone and turned the music back on. It was raining when she got outside so she threw her hood up over her head. Even if she was still an elemental she would have had to do it because it would have been odd seeing a woman walking down the street completely dry why everyone else was getting soaked. Then again it was New York so maybe not.

She signaled a cab over and jumped in, she told the driver where to go and sat back as he pulled away from the curb. When he arrived in front of an old abandoned theater building. Also known as the American sanctuary to sorcerers. She climbed out and paid the cab driver she watched as he drove away and only turned back toward the building when she heard the soft pop signaling Fletcher Renn's arrival.

She smiled and walked over to him to give him a hug when they separate; he looks her up and down and whistles. "Man, you're really tall!" and she realizes instead of looking him straight in the eye like she did last time they saw each other she was looking at him at a downward angle.

"Yeah I guess I am." She says.

He smiles. "You might even be taller then skulduggery, wouldn't that be a sight to see!"

They both laugh at that. "Yeah right!" she says still giggling.

"Yeah, just kidding, how have you been?"

"Good, what about you?"

"Good,"

"What about everybody else?"

"About the same but very busy,"

"Hmm,"

"Well, um... are you ready to go home?"

She leans down to grab the handle of her suitcase. "Yep,"

"okay then hold on tight."

She grabs his upper arm and a second later they are standing in the middle of Gordon's living room. "Holy," she says looking around. "What?" Fletcher asks her. "I haven't been here in ages; it's nice to be back."

"I bet it is. Here I'll take your bag upstairs for you and then we can go to the sanctuary and surprise the others." he holds his hand out and she hand the suitcase to him less than a second he's gone. She walks over to the coffee tables and runs her finger across the top. When she pulls it back it's covered in dust. She was going to have to do some serious cleaning when she got the time. She's rubbing the dust off on her pants when Fletcher reappears in the room. "Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." She replies. He laughs and she grabs hold of his arm again and they are soon standing in front of the Irish Sanctuary glittering in all its glory. Valkyrie takes a minute to let it all in and a few seconds pass before she feels a tap on her arm. She turns toward Fletcher. "You okay?" he asks her. "Yeah," she replies.

"You sure"

"Yes, Just it never ceases to amaze me, you know?"

"Yeah I know you ready to see your friends?"

"Yep, let's go," she follows Fletcher into the fancy and suave lobby and stands by the door as he walks over and talks to a lady with bright red hair and ice blue eyes behind the counter. A few minutes later Fletcher walks over with a smile on his face. "Where's Tipstaff?" she asks him.

"Tipstaff? Oh he retired a few years back probably tired of being china's slave is my guess. Anyways, Rachael notified china that all of them have a visitor wanting to see them so they'll be in the meeting room, do you want to teleport or walk?"

"Are they all there?"

" Yeah, they should be."

"Let's teleport, it's faster." She grabs his arm,

"That it is." He says and then they are standing outside a glistening silver door that only could be china's doing. Valkyrie looks at Fletcher "Silver?"

He smiles. "Silver is the new white. At least that's what china says."

"Well I'm glad Skulduggery doesn't wear white suits."

" _Well.._."

"Please don't tell me that Skulduggery wears white suits now because they really don't go with his complexion."

Fletcher laughs, "No, I was just kidding you." Valkyrie smiles at the joke well made and wipes her hand across her forehead "phew. That scared me for just a second." He smiles and nods toward the door. "You ready to go in?" she looks at the silver door then back at Fletcher. "Yep, it's about time I saw my friends again."

"Well then let's go." Fletcher walks in first and the chatter dies down; Valkyrie can hear Tanith say "Really Fletcher?" Valkyrie smiles "What did I do now?" Fletcher asks indignantly.

"Well we have an important case that we're talking about right now and no offense Fletcher but your hair tends to distract us more often than not and you just don't give much intelligent conversation to the matter at hand." Skulduggery's voice comes through the door.

"The _hair_ is not going to change and I _do_ give intelligent conversation you just don't _recognize_ it!"

"Come on guys. Fletcher you got to know better to know then argue with Skulduggery when he is working on a case. The only one that can do that is Valkyrie." Tanith tries to cut in.

"Tanith is right guys we really don't need both of our best guys arguing with each other now do we?" Dexter's voice now, it must be close to getting into a fight Valkyrie thought to herself.

"Ha! I'm one of the best guy's skull now you can't insult my hair, _ha_!" Fletcher says.

 _What the hells are you doing Fletcher?_ Valkyrie thought to herself. She heard a chair squeak on the floor as Skulduggery stood up and then Dexter's voice, pleading now, that isn't good," Skulduggery now think this through, he just messing with you. Sit back down."

"Yeah, sit back down Skulduggery be a good boy."

" That's enough Renn."

" Oh, I'm not even close to being done pleasant."

Valkyrie burst into the room right as Skulduggery raised his arm to punch Fletcher into tomorrow. She grabbed Fletchers arm and pulled him to the doorway and kicked him out and shut the door in his face. She turned around.

Dexter was in a half sitting half standing position, probably going to try and stop the fight. Saracen sat next to him with a big grin on his face; he probably knew she was standing right outside the whole time. Sitting at the end of the table was gracious and Donagen who were both wearing identical expressions of shock. China sat on the other side of the table with an expression between anger, shock, and surprise. Tanith stood next to her with her sword pulled half way out of its sheath she also had a look of pure shock pasted on her face. Skulduggery stood where he was when he was going to punch Fletcher but his hand was down by his side and he was looking at her as if she wasn't really there but was.

Valkyrie gave them a small smile and said "Well... I'm back." Tanith gave a very loud squeal and launched herself over the table at her when she hugged her Valkyrie had to take a step back just from sheer force of compact. "Where the hell have you been the last sixteen years?" Tanith yelled when they pulled apart.

"New York, the sanctuary needed me over there. Since you guys were busy I was the only one available for China to send and help. I kept in contact just a lot has happened these last few years so it's been kind of hard to catch each other, I swear Skulduggery and me played phone tag for two hours straight one day."

" Well you're going to have to tell me everything and why didn't you come in sooner and stop Fletcher from being a jerk?"

"Yes I will and I don't know. Saracen does though." Tanith turns toward Saracen. "You knew she was outside this very door and you didn't tell us?"

Saracen took on a very sheepish look and stood up. "Yes I did but I knew that Valkyrie wanted to surprise you guys so I didn't say anything because Valkyrie can be a very threatening person when she wants to be and I would even say she's scarier then you and I didn't-"he was babbling now and when Tanith lunged at him he stumbled back and almost fell over Valkyrie.

"Hey Saracen how are you!"

"Hello Valkyrie nice to see you again."

"Same here... you might want to leave."

"Yep couldn't agree more. Bye Valkyrie."

" Bye Saracen."

He ran toward the door and Tanith landed right where Saracen was just standing when she jumped off of the ceiling to catch him by surprise. "Dang know it all," she mumbled as she ran out of the room. Valkyrie turned toward the others, Dexter had settled back down in his seat again and he had a wide smile on his face. Gracious and Donagen had got over their shock and were laughing silently at Saracen and Tanith. China's expression had settled on being surprised and she wore a welcoming smile. Skulduggery still stood but he was now looking out the door at Tanith and Saracen fighting. His head was tilted at an amused angle and Valkyrie could tell he was smiling.

"Well guys I don't know where to start. It's been a long time since we've seen each other and I'm definitely going to need some bringing up on the things that I have missed here but right now I need to say hello to everybody so Dexter nice seeing you again." he nods and says "Same here."

She looks at Gracious and Donagen. "I'm guessing the last sixteen years you have found a lot of new monsters I expect a full list."

They both grin. "You'll have your whole living room full of them." Gracious says.

"Good." She says and turns toward china.

"Dear Valkyrie it is so nice to see you again, I planned to visit the sanctuary this coming week to see you I guess you saved me the trouble."

"Years ago a woman once told me she didn't do house calls because she wasn't that nice of a person. She sure has changed never thought I'd see the day."

"Oh dear, you underestimate me. Old dogs can learn new tricks you see?"

"It's nice to see you again china."

" It's the same here my dear."

Valkyrie turned toward Skulduggery, she hadn't noticed it but he was wearing her favorite suit a navy pinstriped one with a dark blue hat and indigo ribbon that wrapped around the base of it giving it a very dignified look but also adding a splash of color to it.

He gazed at her with his empty eye sockets and she stared back at him. "It's been a long time." He finally said.

"Yes it has."

"I missed my partner in crime, you know?"

"I guessed as much. Believe me so did I. I couldn't wait to get back here and see you again."

" So how was your time in America? You seem to have picked up their accent I see."

Valkyrie glares at him. " Well I'm sorry I didn't try _not_ to fit in. It's kind of hard not to when your stuck there for sixteen years."

"I'm sorry to cut in but what do you mean you were stuck there for sixteen years. I thought you went willingly." Dexter cuts in.

Valkyrie looks at him. " I was sent there to help them for a month I was told and each time I tried to leave they came up with another case I had to solve and when I got ahold of China to see if Skulduggery needed me he didn't so I stayed there tell I just gave up and decided to come back whether he needed me or not."

Everybody was looking at her and China took on a very guilty look. Without knowing it Valkyrie had just told everybody the truth and showed that China had lied to all of them for the last sixteen years.

"She told you I didn't need you?" Skulduggery asked very calmly and quietly.

Valkyrie looked at him because whenever his voice sounded like that something bad was going to happen soon. "Yeah, It's not her fault you were busy it's the stupid American sanctuary's." Valkyrie says trying to get China out of trouble without knowing what it was even about.

Skulduggery turns toward China who is trying to look at anything but Skulduggery but not succeeding when everyone it looking at her. "You told her that I didn't need her when you knew that I did?"

"Now just wait a second Skulduggery before you jump to conclusions. She was busy and I knew you were to so I didn't want to intrude on anything and..."

" You told her I didn't need her China you lied to all of us. Why China? Pray tell me why you did not tell me that she wanted to come back home?"

China stared at him and then at Valkyrie. " Valkyrie I didn't mean to tell you that he didn't need you. You just sounded like you were busy and so I didn't want to pull you away from what you were doing and I wouldn't have told you that if I had known that you wanted to come home truly dear I wouldn't have. Please forgive me."

Valkyrie gazes at her then at Skulduggery. She can see everybody looking at them waiting for what's to come.

"You needed me?" she asks him.

He gazes right back at her and puts his hand on her shoulder. " I'll always need you Valkyrie. Until the end."

"Until the end." Valkyrie who had started to tear up at that hastily wiped them away and turned to China.

" I don't know why you lied to all of us and I know I'll probably never find out because I know you. And I also know because of your precious ego you most likely won't except it but, I'm sorry that you had to find out nothing will keep me and Skulduggery apart for very long."

The room went quite as China stared at Valkyrie. Skullduggery's hand was still on Valkyries shoulder and he squeezed gently after Valkyrie had finished joking with China. China stood up slowly and gazed at her. Valkyrie knew if looks could kill she would be dead right now.

"China, what are you doing?" Dexter asked he was looking at China with a confused look on his face. China ignored him and raised her hand to her left for-arm. She was still staring at Valkyrie as she did it.

"China what are you doing? STOP!" Skulduggery screams as China touches her for-arm and a blue lights starts to shine.

The next thing Valkyrie knew she was thrown in the air and at the wall. She hit the wall so hard that she broke through and landed in the corridor outside. Valkyrie just lied there for a few seconds trying to gather her wits.

When she tried to get up she saw someone coming at her but she was so dizzy she didn't realize who it was.

China went to grab Valkyrie right as something solid with no mass whatsoever hit her in the back and sent her tumbling. She landed on her feet to see Skulduggery leaning down beside Valkyrie and trying to help her back up. China started running at them and then Dexter came out of nowhere and collided with her. They both went tumbling and then Dexter punched her in the face and everything went black.

"Are you okay?" Skulduggery asks as he leans down beside Valkyrie as she tried to sit up from the ground. His skull starts to blur for a second and she catches herself as she starts to fall backwards again. Skulduggery grabs her up bridal style and starts walking toward the infirmary. _I just got her back and this had to happen._ Skulduggery thinks to himself as he walks to the infirmary. "Skulduggery, I'm okay. You can set me down." Valkyries says staring up at him as the dizziness goes away. He looks down at her and then sets her down gently.

She stands there for a few seconds and then takes a few steps to make sure she won't fall over. Skulduggery watches as Valkyrie takes a few shaky steps ahead of where they were standing and then turning around and walking back. By the time she was standing next to him she had her normal swagger in the way she walked back but he could tell she was still sore from being thrown through the wall. " So, that was an exciting event wasn't it?" Valkyrie says looking back at the hole in the wall a few feet away.

Some people were staring at it as they walked by but most of them just went on ahead without any glance toward the hole in the wall as if it had happened every day.

"Yeah. Maybe For a few moments at least, it wasn't so exciting when I had to watch you being thrown through the wall."

"Come on, you have to agree that you wanted to be the one to throw me through that wall just a little."

"Nope. Believe it or not I actually didn't."

"You're kidding me. I know you wanted to do it."

"Valkyrie. You have got to know by now when I am kidding and not kidding. I'm not kidding at the moment."

Valkyrie smiles and punches him in the arm even though it made her knuckles ach. "I knew you cared about me. Just take me awhile to make you actually admit it but I did it!"

Skulduggery looks at her. "What?"

"You heard me."

"Yeah I heard you I was giving you a chance to take it back was all,"

"To late skull. Already said it, no taking it back."

"Damn it,"

"What did I do?"

"Its not what you did. That wasn't china that did that to you. She had been acting weird ever since her and me had that run in with the time traveler."

"So..."

"Thank about it Valkyrie, Time traveler, China acting weird, Trying to kill you?" Valkyrie looks at him. "Put it all together and what do you get?"

"No, you thank he sent her to a different time and put a killing robot in her place?"

"Well you got the first part right but I don't know anything about the killing robot. Clone maybe."

"Oh you think that it is a clone."

"I'm an exceptionally smart person for having no physical brain what so ever and if I can figure something out as easy as that and you, someone who does have a physical organ to call a brain can't. Then there is something wrong with that picture don't you think?"

"Shut up!"

"Just saying."

"So... how do we get China back to this time?"

"Well first we have to find someone that has the ability to time travel which would be the one that sent her away in the first place because they would be the only one who knows where she is, and _than_ we have to finds someone that is willing to go find her." Skulduggery looks down at her.

"And I'm guessing what you mean by someone that is willing to go find her would really actually be us?"

"That's exactly what I meant,"

"Well than, what are we waiting for? Let's go get our selves into trouble." Skulduggery tilts his head at an angle. "Just like old times." He says to her."

"Just like old times."


	2. Lets time travel in time!

Chapter Two Let's travel... In Time!

It took them a few hours but Skulduggery and Valkyrie were finally able to find all the information they needed to find out where the time traveler was since un-be nonce to Valkyrie that Skulduggery never actually arrested him and put him into a jail cell. After they found that his name was Jason Time and the address at which they could find him they gathered everybody up and told them their plan as to how they were going to get back China.

Valkyrie had called the number they were given and had talked to Jason about meeting up for coffee at a local Dublin coffee shop around 9:00 the next morning. Of course Skulduggery wanted it to sound as if Valkyrie liked him and that just made Jason to want to see whom his secret admirer was and so they were now set to have dinner at the temple bar in two hours.

"If you weren't already dead skulduggery I swear I would have killed you for that!" Valkyries says glaring at him as he tilts his head at a very smug angle. "Well technically you can't kill me because i am, as you see from my condition , already dead."

"Skulduggery Pleasant! You are so going to regret that!" Valkyrie yells jumping up and taking his hat away from him. Everybody starts laughing as her hand starts to cackle with electricity and puts the hat closer to it. " You wouldn't dare!" Skulduggery says very calmly showing her that he is actually very angry at the moment. "Would I?" She asks mischievously. "It's only fair after all. Isn't it Skulduggery? I mean if i have to go on a date with a psychotic time traveler then you only deserve to lose your hat in the process."

"You wouldn't do it valkyrie. You know better then to do that."

"Oh well. Guess you have to lose this hat."

"Valkyrie!" Skulduggery yells as she puts the hat to her hand. The electricity goes out and the hat is on her hand completely unharmed. Skulduggery quickly grabs it away from her checking for any damage possibly done to it as Valkyrie cracks up laughing.

Once everybody had calmed down and Skulduggery had forgave Valkyrie for almost killing his hat they sat down at the conference table and talked about their plan to get china back.

" So Valkyrie is going to go into the bar with him and keep him preoccupied while we go around the back of the bar and enter that way so know one notices us. Except of course valkyrie who knows we will be there. " We should be able to shackle him and put him in a jail cell until he decides to take us to china. once he decides to do that then it should be easy. Less of course something goes wrong like it does 90 percent out of a hundred times. But look at this way there is a ten percent chance that the plan will go as exactly planned! Now cheer up everybody!"

After skulduggery finished his little speech. Everybody just stared at him.

"Well aren't you just a bowl full of sunshine." Tanith says as everybody starts understanding what Skulduggery had just told them.

"I'm actually not a bowl full of sunshine but merrily a skeleton telling the true percentage of how much our plans to get prisoners actually do work." Skulduggery says, he tilts his head at a smug angle as Tanith glares at him.

"Okay, Okay lets just calm down and think about this. Skulduggery is right. The plans we make usually don't work. But that's good. because over the years it's taught us to improvise ALOT. Now if the plan doesn't work which it probably won't then that's what we do. The good thing is, is that we got an idea as to what we are going to be doing. And if the plan doesn't work and he does see you guys before you catch him then this is what we need to do." Rather then sending all of you guys to sneak up on him then what we need to do is split the gang up. "Dexter and Tanith. You stay with me but stay out of sight that way if something does go wrong we have backup, the rest of you go With skulduggery. That way we still have all of our strength just distributed evenly."

Everybody looks at valkyrie as she finishes telling them her plan. "What?" she asks looking at everybody. Skulduggery tilts his head at the angle showing that he is proud of her. "Well I think we should take a vote." he says still looking at Valkyrie. "Everybody for my plan say 'I'" he looked around as nobody said anything. At all. "Well i expected at least one of you to say it. That just hurts my ego. Anyways. Everybody who likes Valkyries plan say 'I'." He bowed his head as everybody in the room said I.

Valkyrie stands up and walks over so she can pat skulduggery on the arm. "Your ego will be okay won't it?"

"Of course it will. It's my ego after all."

" Well then now that you ego is fixed my work here is done." Valkyrie says smiling. Skulduggery looks around the room, " So now that we got a plan lets go put it in action!" he says turning and walking out of the room.

Valkyrie waits until Skulduggery is out of the room and then turns to everybody else who is standing up. "In other words. Let Time Travel! In Time!" everybody whoops and starts walking out the door. As Tanith walks by valkyrie leans over and whispers in her ear. "And I thought I was the only doctor who fan in the room!" Tanith starts laughing as they start to catch up with the rest of the gang.

Authors Note: _Sorry about this chapter not having very much action in it though I tried to substitute Skulduggery's and valkyrie's humor to make it interesting. The next chapter I promise you will have a lot more action in it_. _Thanks for reading it!_


	3. Dresses and make-up

It had been two hours since the conference meeting and one hour tell she was suppose to meet Jason time and Valkyrie was not happy. At All. The last half hour Tanith had put her through the roller with every kind of Make up there was out there. It was almost as if Tanith was trying to make her China. After the hour of hell they went to Ghastly's shop and started looking for a nice pair of clothes that had the same magical properties as her clothes that way she wouldn't be as easy as a target that Jason would think she was.

"You know by the time you're done with me no one will be able to recognize me." Valkyrie says looking in the mirror at the red knee length dress. There was also a white lace belt around her waist that gave the dress a classy look. The only thing wrong was the dress was red. And Valkyrie Hated red.

"Thats the whole point. That way if Someone else there were to recognize you then we wouldn't have two enemies on our hands because they can't recognize you."

" I still hate make-up."

"I know."

" And dresses. I hate dresses especially."

"I know that too."

"And if there were to be a fight, and lets say I had wanted to fight with you guys, _which i do_. I can't for fear of showing off."

"Well i'm afraid that you will just have to sit out on this one and there is no promises that there will be a fight. if everything goes as planned he might just walk out without much trouble. Besides you just got back from being head detective for the american Sanctuary you need a break anyways."

"Well if it goes bad then I will fight even if I do show off i don't care. I'm not one to sit on the sidelines and let other people do my dirty work you Know that Tanith so I don't understand as to why your trying to stop me from fighting."

" We just don't want to lose you is all."

"You guys have never worried about losing me before why this guy?"

"Because he's a time traveler and if you go without skulduggery then theres a lot of possibilities that could happen."

"LIke what Tanith? What possibilities are you talking about? If everything goes bad then i'm going to fight, thats the way I am and not you, Skulduggery or anybody else is going to change that. I am fighting and you have no say in it whatsoever."

Tanith was about to say something when Dexter comes into the dressing room. He stops dead in his tracks as soon as he see's Valkyrie. " Wooooowwww. You are a sight for sore eyes aren't you?"

"Oh shut up Dexter and stop flirting."Valkyries says trying to put on the uncomfortable heels that Tanith had found for her. Dexter was about to say something when Tanith cuts in."What do you want Dexter?"

"Ummmm... why did I... Oh, yeah skullduggery wanted me to come get you, its time to meet your date Valkyrie." He winks at her and Valkyrie rolls her eyes.

"Well, then we better get you out there. Wonder what Skulduggery is going to think." Tanith says looking Valkyrie up and down.

Before they start to walk out of the dressing room to meet the others Valkyrie leans over to Tanith and whispers in her ear. "you know he is going to hate you for this, right?" Tanith winces

"Yeah I know."

"Okay just making sure is all." With that Valkyrie walks out of the dark room to meet the ogling looks of all the dead men in the next room.

 _ **Authors note:**_ **Sorry i haven't updated lately. I've been busy with schoolwork and so I haven't had much time to sit down and write. Also i know there is no action in this chapter AT ALL! And i'm very angry with my self but i really wanted to have a little conversation with Tanith since Valkyrie hadn't seen her in 16 years though i didn't say it was going to be a good conversation. This next chapter i will try to get the action into it and there actually will probably most likely be a lot because they meet Jason time in the next chapter.**


	4. meeting Jonathan Time

"So now that we're here lets go over the plan." Skulduggery says looking at the cafe they soon had to enter. "Valkyrie is going to go in and meet him. Tanith and Dexter you should wait at least a few minutes before entering and to make it more believable you should act as a couple."

Tanith and Dexter both glare at him at that.

"Anyway," Valkyrie says taking over. "Skulduggery, Saracen and Fletcher will teleport to the back of the building and sneak in that way. Without being seen of course. She glares at Fletcher in the back seat before continuing. " Meanwhile I will be inside trying to keep him preoccupied and hoping I don't get taken back in Time. " In other words we're just going to follow the plan we made at the sanctuary. Because both mine and Skulduggery's were absolutely dreadful."

"Hey!" Skulduggery says. Valkyrie looks at him and he slowly looks away. She looks back at the others and smiles. Okay then Tanith, Dexter you go ahead and head over to the cafe and Fletcher and Saracen can you go teleport around back." Skulduggery says looking at Valkyrie. Tanith smiles at Valkyrie and then grabs Dexter's hand and drags him outside the Bentley. Fletcher is still giving Skulduggery a confused look when Saracen tells him to teleport to the back of the cafe. After everyone had left Valkyrie looks at Skulduggery who looks right back at her.

"I missed you while you were gone. I never had the chance to tell you before you left but I... But I really, really, really need to now so Valkyrie Cain. Through all these years of getting to know you and becoming your partner and best friend, Being able to watch you grow up into a beautiful young woman I was afraid to say anything unless you felt differently but I don't want to lose you again by someone else and so if I'm going to lose you it is going to be by my own hands. Valkyrie Cain, Stephanie Edgly, Gordon's niece, I do believe that I have fallen in love with you and no matter how graceful I am I can't get back up from it."

Valkyrie just stares at him, " And I understand if you don't feel the same way about me, I mean who would want to love a 400 year old skeleton that can't even give you what you want bu-"

Before he could finish his sentence she had jumped on his lap and had her mouth on his bleach white teeth with her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He too wrapped his arms around her waist and started kissing her right back but before they could get anywhere they heard someone clear their throat in the back seat.

Skulduggery stood stock still and Valkyrie quickly jumped back in the passenger seat and off Skulduggery's lap. "Oh don't let me interrupt anything." Valkyrie freezes. She had thought it was Fletcher who had cleared his throat in the back because he was to curious to stay gone too long but it wasn't Fletcher. She had heard that voice before. But it was none of her friends. Skulduggery grabs her hand as they both turn around to find a young man sitting in the back seat. He wore a dark navy blue suit with a black tie. He didn't wear a hat but had his dark black hair slicked back. His crystal blue eyes seem to look right into Valkyrie soul and she didn't like him at all.

"You see." He says smiling at Valkyrie. " When I saw your two friends walk into the Cafe I decided to see if I could find you. It was easy enough when the only car on the street was a gleaming black Bentley. I decided that instead of making you come to me I would just come to you so here I am. I really didn't expect as spectacular show as I got though. Thank you for that."

"How did you know who I was i didn't give you my name.?" Valkyrie asks.

"Oh it's not that hard. When Tanith Low and Dexter Vex walk into a cafe you know there is something up and most likely their friends Skulduggery pleasant and Valkyrie Cain are going to appear soon too."

"Valkyrie you should probably get out of the car." Skulduggery says. She looks at him and then starts slowly to get out of the car but stops when John says something.

" I wouldn't do that if I were you or your skeleton friend will die. Or shall I say lover after that little show of affection?"

"What are you playing at here?" Valkyrie asks glaring back at him.

"Me? Nothing really but I have got to be going now. It was nice meeting you Mr. Pleasant. But Mrs. Cain and me must be leaving now." Valkyrie goes to jump out of the Bentley as John grabs her arm and Skulduggery tries to get John off of her. He elbows Skulduggery in the jaw making him let go and they start to disappear. "Be Brave Valkyrie. I Love you! Skulduggery yells as Valkyrie disappears again.

What seemed like ages later they appear in a cornfield. Valkyrie punches John before he can even let her go. "OW! What was that for?" he yells holding his broken nose.

" What was that for? What was that bloody for? It was for taking me away from Skulduggery. You jerk! That's what it's bloody well for and if you don't take me back right this minute your going to get a lot worse then a broken nose."

"I would but I can't" He says ducking as Valkyrie takes a swing aimed for his head. " I'm sorry but if I take you back then you won't have Skulduggery to go back too."

Valkyrie stops. " What do you mean he won't be there?"

"I mean that you play a very important part in his past and if you weren't here vital parts in his history wouldn't happen and he wouldn't be alive in your time."

"What vital things would change?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you Valkyrie. You'll have to find out for yourself. I bought a horse for you to use. Its on the road only a half a mile away from here in that direction." He points to their right. " Follow the road and you'll reach a town, It's Dublin. You'll pass three roads on the way to Dublin on the third road you'll turn and you will find a small magic community. Ghastly Bespoke lives there. I imagine you know who he is. He'll find somewhere you can stay for awhile."

"And why are you helping me?" Valkyrie asks

"Because I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to bring you back but I had to because my friend wanted me too and I would do anything for her. I am truly sorry."

"And who is your friend may I ask?"

"You, my friend is you."


	5. Ghastly Bespoke and Skulduggery Pleasant

After for what seemed like hours Valkyrie finally broke through the last of the corn. She gave a triumphant

"yes!"and started looking around. As promised a black horse stood waiting a few feet away. She walked over and patted its star. She realized there was no saddle or anything on it so she was going to have to ride bare back all the way. "Perfect, Just perfect." She says as she climbs up on it. Before she does anything though she pulls out a black camera that John had handed to her before he left with instructions to push the small red button on top when she reached the horse. She didn't know why she was listening to what he told her to do since he didn't tell her how she knew him or even how they were friends but she had a feeling this would help her in the long run so she pushed the red button on top.

And then the camera disappeared. She could still feel it in her hand but she couldn't see it. "What the hell?" she says as it leaves her hand and goes into the air.

"How stupid could you be?" says a voice where the camera was. It belonged to saracen.

"Saracen? Where the hell are you?" Valkyrie asks looking around her to see if he was standing anywhere nearby.

"The camera, We can see you from here and talk to you. Luckily Mr. Time was nice enough to let us contact each other. Anyways back to the point. How could you be so stupid?"

"Hey it's not like i wanted to be taken here in... Well whatever time it is!" Valkyrie says back.

"Your on the outskirts of Dublin in the year 1756 and it looks like its in December." He replys

"Wait isn't that the year that Skulduggery married his wife?"

"Yes it was. I first met her in Ghastly's shop on this exact day. She was suppose to be traveling through and ended up staying because of me." Skulduggery says.

"Skulduggery? Thank god your okay! I'm so sorry. What's going on there?"

"Well right now I'm getting everybody trying to find a way to get you back here."

"So what about China?"

"Right now i could really care less about china. All my attention is on finding you and bringing you back and if you find her while your there then thats just a added bonus in my eyes even though i really couldn't care less if she back or not."

"Skulduggery calm down. I'm Okay and i'll be back soon. Promise."

"Jonathen time is dead." Skulduggery says camly and quietly.

"What? How?"

"He killed himself. We have him here but we can't bring him back. I'm sorry."

"why are you sorry? You didn't kill him. He did it to himself. We'll find a different way for me to come back. We will okay?"

Skulduggery started saying something when Valkyrie heard wagon wheels on the road ahead. Skulduggery must have heard them too because he stopped talking.

"Hello there!" Valkyrie yells.

"Hello to you too!" a man voice yells back. A few seconds later a wagon being pulled by two horses comes around the turn up ahead with a tall man with dark black hair and crystal blue eyes sitting on it.

"What can I help you with ma'am?" He asks her. He slightly sounded like John.

"Would you happen to know any place I could stay for the night in the town up ahead?" she asks him.

"Well there is Ghastly bespokes place. Do you have any family there?"

"No just passing through i'm afraid."

"Oh, well try Bespokes and if all else fails he'll find a place for you to stay."

"Thank you sir." Valkyrie says.

"No problem, Ma'am, Call me Thomas. My full name is Thomas Time but my friends call me Thomas." He says smiling at her.

Valkyrie just stares at him,

"You okay ma'am?" Thomas asks her.

"yeah i just know somebody who also has that name. Thank you for helping me Thomas but i better be going now before it gets dark," she says politely

"It was my pleasure. I hope to see you around before you leave."

"I'll see you around. Nice talking to you." Valkyrie says kicking her horse softly in the side and getting it to trot ahead. She waits tell shes a fair distance away from Thomas and can see the tips of Dublin over to corn field to say anything to Skulduggery fear that someone would over hear them.

"You still there?" she asks quietly

"Yeah, that was kind of awkward if i do say so myself." Skulduggery replys. Humor evident in his voice. The dark undertone he had before now gone.

Valkyrie laughs "Yes it was very. But I'm guessing I just found my way back to you."

"Yes you did! I taught you well!"

"Oh stop flirting mister! You know i'm already taken!"

"Oh I know and i can flirt all i want since i'm the one that owns you!"

Valkyrie is about to say something when she can hear Tanith squeal in the background and Skulduggery quickly say Got to go before she hears a soft click from the camera.

She smiles and continues on her way to Dublin hoping Ghastly would find a place for her to stay."

XXXXXXXX))))))((((((XXXXXXXX

A half in hour later if Valkyrie was correct on her time she finally had reached the little community where Ghastly lived and worked. She tied her horse to one of the lamp post on the sidewalk and patted its start before walking over to Bespokes shop and entering.

The little bell above the door jingled as she entered signallign to Ghastly that he had a visitor. He soon entered the hall where Valkyrie stood and smiled.

"What can I do for you Ma'am?" He asks her.

"I need some clothes and I was also told that you knew a place that I could possibly stay for the night?"

"Thomas?"

"Yeah," Valkyries says sheepishly.

Ghastly laughs and smiles at her "He's been doing that to pay me back for a bet he lost a few weeks ago. So I don't particularly have any place in mind at the moment but I can help you with your clothes. Any particular color in mind?" he asks her

"Um i really don't know black? I'm new here so I don't what colors are usual." Valkyrie says sheepishly.

"I understand. Do mind if I ask you your name?" He asks her.

 _Ah shit._ She thinks to herself, _think! Think! Think!_

"Elizabeth Cain." She catches herself saying.

"Well it's very nice to meet you miss Cain. The color choice if you want to know really doesn't matter but if you want too. What are most commonly bought is the colors-?

"Green, red and white. If you ask me I think those are to cheery all the way around. If I were you I would stick with a neutral color like black. Sorry Ghastly couldn't let you have all the attention of the pretty young woman now could I?" A very smooth voice comes from a few feet beside Valkyrie. She turns hoping to See a skeleton in a suit because it resembled Skulduggery's voice so much that it was uncanny.

Standing there is a young man that looks to be in his mid twenties. He's tall with High cheekbones and Bright golden Hazel eyes with Dark blond hair that falls just above his eyes on his forehead. He's thinner then most and has a very pretty smile Valkyrie finds when he smiles at her.

"Leave it to you to take every pretty young woman away from my desperate grasp old friend." Ghastly says digging through some dark black fabric on the wall beside him.

"Wouldn't have it any other way now would I?" The man says. He looks back at Valkyrie. "So you a local or a tourist?" he asks her. His voice made her miss Skulduggery so bad.

"Um... well i'm just passing through so I guess you would consider me a tourist then." She reply's watching as ghastly walks into the back room with a armful of Fabric and string.

"So do you mind me asking you how long your staying here?" He asks. Valkyrie looks back at him and smiles uncertainly.

"I'm not sure how long I'm going to be here yet." She answers.

" Do you have a place to stay yet?"

Valkyrie catches herself about to tell him no when she catches herself. "I'm sorry sir but what's your name?"

"Oh. Please forgive me. Your just so beautiful it went past my mind. Why don't I take you to a small coffee shop down the street and buy you a coffee and we'll tell each other our names then because I do believe you never told me yours either." He winks at her and smiles.

"I'm afraid sir I can't I have to—"

"I'll buy and you don't even have to stay to chat for more then five minutes maximum promise. I Just want to have the memory of taking such a pretty woman as you out and have coffee with. Could you give me that honor?"

"But my clothes?"

"No Problem. Ghastly?!" he yells. Ghastly pokes his head out of the back room where Valkyrie knew he kept all his supplies and tools to help him make clothing.

"Yes?" he asks.

"I'm taking this young woman out for a cup of coffee. Be back soon."

Ghastly rolls his eyes at the man and smiles. Before he gets the chance to go back to his work though Valkyrie stops him.

"I can pay you now if you want?" she says.

Ghastly looks kindly at her. "No need. I know if your hanging out with that friend of mine you'll be back soon enough. He can charm almost any woman over but when it comes to keeping them he's the worst."

"Thank you for that Ghastly." The man says sarcastically.

"What else am I your friend for other then ruin your chance at your relationships?"

The man rolls his eys and Ghastly laughs and goes back into his room.

"You ready miss?" He asks her.

Valkyrie looks around the room. Trying to catch a glimpse of the camera before nodding and exiting Bespoke Tailors to head to the small coffee shop down the street with a complete stranger.

XXXXXXXX ((((((((())))))))) XXXXXXXX

Valkyries sits down in a empty booth in the corner of the small coffee shop ran by a local adept by the name of Kate Mocha. Apperantly her specialties was making mochas which was weird enough in its own way but as long as Valkyrie got her coffee she didn't really mind as long as the owner didn't all of a sudden try to kill her out of no where.

The man soon comes over to the booth and sets down two cups of coffee down and Then takes his seat across from her.

"Sooo. Want to go first?" He asks her jokingly. She smiles.

"No you go ahead."

"Okay, well I lived in a small cottage for 50 of my hundred and fifty year life so far. My parents were both very hard workers at what they did but I never really wanted to follow in their footsteps you see? They were both very smart people and they worked for the sanctuary. My mom worked as a grand mages assistant and my father was a general in the army. He had very high ranks too. Anyway I always wanted to be a detective. That was always me dream to be the one to find stuff other people couldn't even think of finding at a crime scene and be able to get the culprit in prison before two hours even passed. But I never had the chance too. I pretty much work where I can and take very pretty woman such as you out to coffee when I see one." He smiles at her. "So that's my history now its your turn." He finishes.

"Okay then. Holy where do I start compared to that?"

"The beginning," he says sarcastically. She rolls her eyes at him. "Okay start with something small like did you have any pets when you were younger?"

'No. I wanted a dog though. Never got one though."

"Any siblings?"

"Yes I had a little sister."

"Had?"

"She died a few years ago in a car crash. No survivors."

"Car?"

"Oh we call carriages Cars where I come from."

"Oh that's new. I'm sorry for your loss."

"No it happened a while ago but thanks."

"So what do _you_ do for a job?"

"Well I'm... I'm a detective. I could probably help you become one if you wanted. Get you a job at the sanctuary."

"Thank you, that means a lot to me that you would do that but that dream is long gone now."

"You know just because your life is different doesn't mean your dreams change. You never lose them they just hide for awhile until you have time to find them again."

"That's nice. I like that. So we've talked about job, pets, siblings, what place did you come from?"

"Nope, you promised me your name."

"Ah... you are the detective aren't you? Well my name is... You ready? Drumroll. No? Okay then my name is Pleasant. Skuduggery pleasant."

Valkyries Gasps " It can't be." She mumbles under her breath.

"Excuse me I'm sorry what did you say?"

"Nothing I just said I Love camping!"

"You like camping?"

"Yes I do lots."

"Okay well that's nice to know. I'll keep that in mind." He winks at her " Now its your turn."

"Elizabeth Cain."

"That's a very pretty name. Elizabeth Cain. I like that name. It matches you very well."

"Thank you Skulduggery."

"No _thank you._ It had been an absolute pleasure having coffee with you Elizabeth. I hope you did too?"

" I did. It was nice meeting you."

"May I ask where you're staying?"

"That's... That's kind of a problem at the moment. I'm not exactly sure yet."

"You can stay with me if you want."

"No I can't. I don't want to be a bother."

"Absolutely not. I have a empty room and you need one. Worked out perfectly don't you think?"

"Yeah I guess it did." She smiles at him.

Skulduggery stands up and holds his hand out to her. She takes it and soon they are entering Bespokes Tailors.

Ghastly smiles at her and then looks at Skulduggery, "So I am guessing that it worked out for you." He says knowingly.

Skulduggery laughs. "Yes it did and I did a amazing job if I don't say so myself."

Ghastly laughs and then grabs a brown bag of a shelf beside him and then hands it to Valkyrie " Here are your clothes miss cain." She smiles and takes them

"How much do I owe you?" She asks him.

"Nothing." Skulduggery says. "Ghastly put it on my account would you? Thank you"

."Sure, I'd be happy too." He says.

Valkyrie turns toward skulduggery giving him a confused look he just rolls his eyes. She turns back to Ghastly.

"Thank you for the clothes Mr. Bespoke."

"Call me Ghastly. Any friend of Skulduggery is a friend of mine."

Valkyrie smiles and tries not to tear up as she and skulduggery exit out of his shop.


	6. Back Home

**A/N**

 **I want to say thank you for everybody that has supported me with this story.**

 ** _Autumn R wolf:_** **** **Thanks for all the advice and support.**

 ** _Bluefox03:_** **** **Thank you for liking my story. Especially since this is my first fan fiction that I have ever wrote. ;)**

 **Thank you guys again. I'll update soon.**

 _Skulduggery's POV:_

Skulduggery watches as Valkyrie asks his old friend what colors were usual when he hears the voice.

"Green, red and white. If you ask me I think those are too cheery all the way around. If I were you I would stick with a neutral color like black. Sorry Ghastly, couldn't let you have all the attention of the pretty young woman now could I?"

Skulduggery can feel everybody staring at him but he ignores them and continues watching the screen. Valkyrie turns around Skulduggery can tell that she recognized his voice by the look of hope that went across her face when the man first talked.

"Leave it to you to take every pretty young woman away from my desperate grasp old friend." Ghastly says as he digs through some fabric on a shelf in the hallway. Skulduggery was smiling but nobody could tell. Valkyrie would have been able to but she was gone.

 _Just for now_ he reassures himself. _She is going to come back she promised. She's not gone forever yet._

" Wouldn't have it any other way now would I?" The man says. Skulduggery turns around to grab a chair and then he is sitting down and staring at the screen. Tanith goes to say something but Skulduggery holds his hand up.

"So you a local or a tourist?" The man asks Valkyrie. Skulduggery can heat Tanith asking Saracen who it was but he wasn't answering either.

"Um... well I'm just passing through so I guess you would consider me a tourist then." Valkyries says. She's watching Ghastly and Skulduggery can tell she's trying not to show the pain. She thought it was him , and in her eyes it wasn't.

"So do you mind me asking how long your staying here" The man asks. Valkyrie turns toward him and gives him that uncertain smile she gives when she doesn't know how to react.

"I'm not sure how long I'm going to be here yet." She replies.

"Do you have a place to stay yet."

Skulduggery watches as Valkyrie goes to reply. Just likes she did with him. If he asked her she would tell him anything and everything but she caught herself and stopped. Instead she looks at him and asks "I'm sorry sir. But what's your name?"

The detective in her was coming out.

"Oh, Please forgive me. Your just so beautiful it went past my mind. Why don't I take you to a small coffee shop down the street and buy you a coffee and we'll tell each other our names then because I do believe you never told me yours either. " Skullduggery's face would have went red with jealousy as the man winked and smiled at Valkyrie. But he couldn't really be jelouse of himself so he just stared at the screen as Valkyrie stood strong and loyal.

"I'm afraid sir can't I have too—" But he cut her off mid sentence.

"I'll buy and you don't even have to stay to chat for more then five minutes maximum promise. I just want to have the memory of taking such a pretty woman as you out and have coffee with. Could you give me the honor?"

Valkyrie had just stared at him. Skulduggery had said the same exact thing a few months before she left for America and Valkyrie wanted coffee before they went on their new case. It was a rare specialty but he couldn't let her have coffee unless messing with her and so since he knew she didn't take complements well he said that to her. She must have remembered that day because she just stopped. She missed him and Skulduggery could tell. He missed her just the same if not more.

"But my clothes?" she asked. She was about to break. He could tell she was about to give in. But she was still fighting.

"No problem" he says "Ghastly!?"

Skulduggery tilts his head in a smile as Ghastly pokes his head out of the room where he held all his equipment to help him make all the clothing he did.

"Yes?" Ghastly says.

"I'm taking this young woman out for a cup of coffee. Be back soon."

He rolls his eyes and starts to head back into his back room when Valkyrie stops him. She was trying to post pone the inevitable.

"I can pay you now if you want.?"

Ghastly gives her the same look he did when Skulduggery had brought her with him when she was only twelve to tell him about the scepter of ancients. He always has fatherly love towards her and even in death Skulduggery believed it was still there but it was odd to find that he had that same affection toward her now in the past before he even knew her.

"No need." Ghastly says, " I know if your hanging out with that friend of mine you'll be back soon enough. He can charm almost any woman over but when it comes to keeping them he's the worst."

"Thank you for that Ghastly." The man beside Valkyrie says sarcastically. Valkyrie looks at him and then back at Ghastly.

"What else am I your friend for other then to ruin your chance at your relationships?"

The man rolls his eyes. And Ghastly laughs and then goes back into his room. He looks down at Valkyrie. "You ready miss?" He asks Valkyrie.

Skulduggery watches as Valkyrie turns around looking around the room. He knows that she's looking for the camera but she can't see it so she gives me a sad smile and follows the guy out of the shop. I stand up and hit pause on the camera. I knew what happened next and didn't need to watch it happen again.

I felt everyone staring at me and so i slowly turned around to their curious looks. Saracen was the first to talk.

"So... that was you." He says. Skulduggery nods. "And you took her out for coffee?" he asks. Skulduggery nods again.

"So when do you meet your wife?" Fletcher asks.

"Just did." Skulduggery says.

"WHAT?!" Tanith almost yells. She covers her mouth after yelling. "Sorry about that but what?" she says again.

"Valkyrie is my wife or will be. She was always very vague about her childhood. Now I know why. She was trying to protect me." He smiles sadly but nobody can tell.

"So you're saying that she isn't coming back?" Tanith asks. Her voice breaking halfway through the sentence, Skulduggery looks at her.

"Yes." He says. "That's what i am saying. But we're not going to leave her alone. I promised her I would stay and I will. She knows she has us even when we're not there. Believe me she'll find out soon enough."

"So what? Does she just give up?!" Tanith yells at him.

"No. Not even close." Skulduggery replies calmly. "I use to come home to find her looking out the window waiting for something or _somebody._ I soon asked her what was wrong and she said she was waiting to see her best friend again. I asked who it was and she wouldn't say anything else. It was especially bad during the pregnancy. She would wake up screaming my name but for some reason I got the feeling it wasn't me she was calling for."

"Wait What?" Fletcher says. " She gets pregnant?" Fletcher asks.

"Yes she does. But it was a very dangerous one though."

"What do you mean?" Tanith and Saracen ask at the same time.

Skulduggery turns around to push play on the camera but before he does he answers. "Just wait. You'll see what I mean soon. All we can do is be there for her when she needs us. That's all we can do for now I'm afraid." He sighs and pushes play.


	7. A cottage and a secret

Valkyrie smiles as the small breeze hits her face as her and Skulduggery exits Ghastly's shop. Skulduggery follows her as she leads him to where she had tied her horse by the alley.

"Dark, empty, scary alley's. My kind of thing." Skulduggery says, Valkyrie just laughs. He wasn't any different then her Skulduggery back home. When they reach Valkyrie's horse Skulduggery starts patting it on its star.

"It's a very nice horse you have here." He says to her.

"Thanks. Where is yours?"

"Past Ghastly's shop, He likes warm, sunny, cozy places." Skulduggery kids with her,

"Shut up!" She says back to him untying her horse from the lampposts.

"Just saying." Skulduggery says.

"The only reason I put it in the alley in the first place was so nobody would steal it. "

"Oh. Well then that's a very smart thing to do then."

"Smart ass."

"Why yes I am—wait! No I'm not!"

Valkyrie laughs as they start to walk back over to Skulduggery's horse. It was white and black horse with no star but a glistening raven black mane. It was a very nice looking horse all in all but Valkyrie stilled liked hers better.

Skulduggery looks at her before climbing up on his horse. "Want to race to my house?" he asks her. Valkyrie looks at him. " I don't know where you house is." She replies.

"Down the road a mile or two turn left stop half a mile. Or you could just follow me." He winks at her.

"Okay I'll race you." She replies smiling at his joke.

They both climbed on their horses and Skulduggery waited until they were back on the main road headed to Dublin to count down.

"Okay... On One... Two... Three!" Skulduggery kicks his stallions' side and was soon running so fast that Valkyrie didn't even have a hope of catching up with him. Though that didn't make Valkyrie lose hope, She lightly kicked her horse in the side and was soon bouncing up and down as the horse struggled to catch up to Skulduggery. She was a few feet behind him when his horse started to slow down. He spurred it in the side again and again but it soon stopped. Valkyrie was very tempted to stop and see what the problem was but she ignored what her brain was telling her and went right past him. He laughed as she went by and she waved back at him smiling to herself. She soon came upon a small cottage when she turned the last corner in the road. Since that was the only house around she guessed it was Skulduggery's and her guess was right when he soon came around the corner walking his horse. She climbed off hers and walked up to him smiling.

"Well that was fun wasn't it?" she asks him. He just glares at her but she knew he was just playing. She followed him behind the cottage after grabbing her horse. When they rounded the corner she was amazed. His back yard was more of a field then a back yard and there was a fence of trees surrounding them. It was beautiful.

They passed a shabby looking shed that stood against the line of trees to a small barn that was made out of rough-cut wood. Skulduggery leads his horse into it first and then comes back out.

"I think there is enough room for your little girl in there too. If not I can make room." He says. Valkyrie gives him a confused look.

"Little girl?" She asks him. He looks over his shoulder at her.

"Yeah she's a girl. You didn't know?"

"Yeah I knew but really? Little girl?"

"Oh the name! It matches her very well since she's a little younger then my old guy here so that's why I called her Little girl."

"Okay,"

"Do you have a name for her?"

"Tan,"

"That's a nice name, good choice." Skulduggery goes back in to get some hay for the horses while Valkyrie leads Tan into the empty stall next to Skulduggery's horse. She comes back out before Skulduggery is finished and decides to look around.

The cottage, which she thought was small at, first, was actually bigger then she originally thought. It looked to her Skulduggery had added on to the original structure. She looks back at him as he walks back out of the barn and smiles kindly at her.

"Are you a carpenter?" She asks him as he comes to stand next to her.

"Carpenter? No. But I was pretty much everything else though. Do you want to see what the inside looks like? I promise you it looks a lot better then the outside."

Valkyrie laughs. "Sure," She answers him.

Valkyrie follows him into the back door into a cozy living room. The colors of the walls were light brown, the furniture was wooden and there was very few of it, on the far wall stood a majestic stone fireplace. Above hung a beautiful landscape painting of the pier in haggard, which Valkyrie found interesting. On either side of the fireplace was a door.

Skulduggery opens his arms out as if he wanted a hug and then bows. "Welcome to my humble abode my beautiful maiden. " she smiles at him. "What do you think?" He asks her.

"It's very cozy," She replies.

"That's it?" he sounded like he expected more.

"I like it,"

"Well, thank you. Here I'll show you the rest of the house." He points to the door on the right side of the fireplace and she follows him into a large kitchen. It too had the same color theme as the living room but the cabinets were a dark ebony color and the back splash was stone along with the floor. Windows were the main source of light since there were five of them all around the room. It was a very nice kitchen.

Skulduggery wait's until Valkyrie is done looking around to lead her back out of the kitchen into the left doorway, which was a stairway. There were only two doors on the top floor and Skulduggery led her into the right one. "This is your room," he says as he opens the door. Valkyrie steps in and looks around at her surroundings. The walls were a nice light blue color. On the far wall there was a double bed that had a black bed set. There were windows on either side of the bed along with a desk and a nightstand on it too. There was a dresser on the right wall next to Valkyrie and there was a dark oak closet on the left wall, which was where Skulduggery was standing.

Valkyrie walked over to the window and looked out. The view was breathtaking. She could just see over the trees and see the ocean in the distance. She would have been content to just stand there and look out at the view but she could feel Skulduggery looking at her so she turned around to face him.

"Is this okay for you?" he asks her. She grins at him.

"It's absolutely perfect. Thanks for letting me stay with you. It means a lot to me Skulduggery."

"No problem. It's my pleasure."

"Well thank you anyway."

"Wellllll. I was wondering if you would be willing to go out to dinner with me tonight?" he asks sheepishly.

Valkyrie smiles at him. "Of course. I would love to."

"That's wonderful! Um... I'll let you get settled and get some rest if you want. I'll be downstairs if you need me just yell."

"Okay,"

"Okay have a good rest."

"I will,"

Skulduggery smiles at her and walks out of her bedroom gently closing the door behind him, Valkyrie waits until she can here him downstairs in the kitchen before whispering to the hidden camera.

"You still there?" she asks.

"Yeah," Came Tanith's voice.

"Tanith?"

"Sure is sis. How are you doing?"

Valkyrie laughs quietly then slaps her hand onto her mouth hoping Skulduggery hadn't heard her down stairs. She waited a few moments and then started to talk again but quietly.

"It's weird knowing that that is Skulduggery but not Skulduggery, Do you understand what I mean?"

"Yeah, I bet it is."

"So any headway on your side of getting me out? Since we have to go the round about way now."

"Well Val..."

"What? What's wrong Tanith?"

"Well you see... you become... Oh m god! I can't say this." Tanith says, "Where the hell is Skulduggery?"

Valkyrie hears a mumble in the background and then Tanith yelling Skulduggery's name again but thankfully they turned the volume down so the Skulduggery down stairs didn't hear them.

"Tanith? What is wrong?" Valkyrie asks.

"Nothing Val, I just need Skulduggery to help me for a sec."

"Tanith, I can handle what ever it is. Tell me,"

"You sure you can take it?"

"Yes. For gods sake tell me!"

"Okay... Hey Skulduggery's here. He wants to talk to you."

"Tanith Plea—"

"Here he is," Tanith says cutting her off soon Skulduggery 's smooth worried voice comes through the camera.

"Valkyrie? Are you okay?" he asks.

"Skulduggery I'm fine. I... Just what is going on? What isn't Tanith telling me?"

Skulduggery went quite and Valkyrie waited for him to say something but when he didn't Valkyrie got impatient.

"Skulduggery?" she asks.

"Tanith wants me to tell you that you're my wife. Or at least you will be soon. Valkyrie are you okay?"

Valkyrie sat stone still on the bed. _You knew._ The little voice in her head says as what Skulduggery had just told her ran over and over in her mind. She was sure of two things. The first one being that she wasn't going to see _her_ Skulduggery again. The second one being that she knew she probably wasn't going to live through the next five years and neither was her child.


	8. Meeting a old Enemy

**A/N**

 **Thank you everybody for all you support and want for me to continue this story it means a lot truly. Sorry this chapter was so short but I'm just going to warn you now that next chapter will be even shorter because it's Skulduggery's POV. Hope you like this chapter and I'll try to update soon. And by the way this chapter has some action in it.**

 **Skyler s.**

"How do you like the food?" Skulduggery asks her. Valkyrie smiles at him.

"It's absolutely mouth watering!" she replies.

Skulduggery laughs. _You won't ever be able to see him again._ The voice says in her head. _Shut up!_ She yells back, in her mind of course. She waits a minute for a reply and she gets none. _Now that's better,_ She thinks to her self.

This had been the second month since Valkyrie had been stuck here in the past.

Skulduggery (the one in her time) had kept her up on all the news back in the future. They were getting closer to finding a way to get her back but with out John there it was almost impossible but Skulduggery had hope and that was all Valkyrie needed to know. She knew that she couldn't go back even if they did find a way to get her back. If she left then Skulduggery would have never lost his wife and child and in turn became the skeleton she knew because he never had a reason to go to that Castle on that horrid day. Right now she was stuck in the middle with hope they would get her back but knowing she couldn't go even if she wanted to. In her opinion it sucked _bad._

Valkyrie realized that the Skulduggery in this time was talking to her so she looked up from her food.

"Is something wrong?" he asks her. Concern evident on his face and in his voice. It was so odd seeing emotions on his face she was so use to having to guess what he was feeling just by the tone of his voice.

Over the span of the last two months Skulduggery and Valkyrie had grown a romantic relationship with each other and Valkyrie knew that when she thought about home he could see the pain on her face and it hurt her to know she was hurting him but couldn't help it.

Valkyrie smiles at him. "I'm fine, just thinking is all."

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asks her.

"What about a dollar instead?"

"Fifty cents."

"Dollar fifty,"

"Sixty cents,"

"Dollar forty,"

"Seventy?"

"Dollar,"

"Dollar" Skulduggery replies and Valkyrie holds her hand out. He looks down at it and then back up at Valkyrie.

"What?" he asks her.

"My dollar,"

"You weren't kidding?"

Valkyrie smacks his arm and laughs. "Of course I was kidding." She says.

"Oh good because I am broke." He replies.

"Well, well, look who it is. The great Skulduggery Pleasant, what are _you_ doing here?" A familiar voice says next to them. Both Valkyrie and Skulduggery turn to look up at a younger looking Nefarian Serpine.

"Ah... Nefarian how was your vacation?" Skulduggery asks him smiling.

"Don't play with me Pleasant." He says back icily

"I'm not, I'm genuinely curious."

"Which one are you talking about?"

"The one to hell," Valkyrie mumbles under her breath. Both men look at her and then Skulduggery burst out laughing drawing attention from the people sitting in the booth right next to them.

"What did you say?" Nefarian says quietly, glaring at Valkyrie.

"You heard me. The vacation to hell, how did it go?" Valkyrie says stubbornly. Skulduggery laughs harder as Nefarian goes a deeper color of red.

"The next time you talk to me like that you little rat, I _will_ kill you," Nefarian says. Valkyrie doesn't say anything and Nefarian smiles as he turns to a calmed down Skulduggery.

"Now Pleasant. Keep your little pet reined in will you?" he says snidely.

That pushed Valkyrie over the edge. She stood up and grabbed Serpines shoulder as he was turning away from her and Skulduggery's table. He turned right into her punch and he went crashing into the table. Luckily it was unoccupied but Valkyrie wouldn't have cared if it weren't. People started watching as Valkyrie stood over Nefarian who was lying on the broken table clutching his broken nose that was bleeding profusely. He started to get up again and punch her but she only let him stand up and when he went to swing at her she grabbed his hand and twisted behind his back where if he moved at all the bone was going to break he stayed still. Valkyrie glanced behind her to find Skulduggery with a very shocked expression on his face.

"Let me go you bitch!" Nefarian yells.

Valkyrie leans down next to him and looks him straight in the eye and then starts to speak very quietly, very calmly and very slowly to get her point across his little mind.

"I know what you are like Serpine. You could care less about anybody but yourself and you live for the pain and angst of others. You use people to your advantage and you don't care if they die or not. I know you Serpine. But you don't know me and that's what makes you feared of me right now. We'll win this war Serpine and you know that. That's why you treated us they way you did, It's because you know that you'll lose. But if there is the slightest chance that you don't believe what I just said you can watch and see. Nefarian just watch and see because I can promise you we will kick your ass."

Valkyrie slowly stood up and Skulduggery gave her a curious look. She was about to turn around but Nefarian Shot up and before she could block him he punched her in the face. She lost her bearings for a second and when she finally gathered her wits again she saw Skulduggery standing with Nefarian by the neck against the wall and he was whispering something in his ear. She tried to sit up but the dizziness was too much so she just lay back down and was content to watch Skulduggery let Nefarian go from the wall from her position on the floor.

Nefarian glared at Skulduggery and then walked out of the Restaurant they were in with as much dignity that he could muster which wasn't much since he did get beat by a woman. Everybody clapped as Skulduggery helped Valkyrie up off the floor. She wavered as a small bout of dizziness came over her and then she was able to stand on her own but that didn't stop Skulduggery from wrapping his arms around her waist and deeply kissing her. She tried not to sink in his warm embrace but when she was just about to somebody yelled "Get a room you two lovebirds!" Skulduggery and Valkyrie parted but he still held her by the waist.

"You okay?" he asks her looking down at her as she smiled at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replies.

"Come on. Let's get you home."

Valkyrie nods and follows him out of the restaurant after paying for the damage and the food. She climbs on to his black stallion and holds on as they head for their home. Skulduggery helps her off and then picks her up and carries her to the door. She laughs the whole way. She opened the door with her right hand because of course his hands were full, but before they were even inside the door the lights came on and everybody yelled "SURPIZE!"


	9. Hope comes again

**Skulduggery's POV**

Skulduggery was sitting in the conference room with Saracen and Dexter trying to find a way to get Valkyrie back with out changing the future.

Valkyrie had told them that she wouldn't come back if it was going to kill Skulduggery and she had stuck to that. Though Valkyrie was able to get John in her time to find China and send her back to their era. China was currently resting up in the medical wing where there were doctors were fussing around her 24/7. At least they got their grand mage back everybody said to Skulduggery but it wasn't Valkyrie and that's all he wanted, for Valkyrie to come home.

Dexter and Saracen looked up as Tanith came barging in the room. Skulduggery was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize she had entered the room at all. Though he looked up when she came to stand in front of him. Before she could say anything though he was standing up.

"Is it Valkyrie what happened?" he asked her

Tanith nodded at him as she tried to catch her breath. "They went out to dinner when Nefarian showed up. I came to get you soon after that." Before she could finish the sentence though He was running out of the room with Saracen and Dexter right behind him sprinting to the security room where they watched Valkyrie.

Skulduggery barged into the room to see Fletcher, Donagen, gracious, and even china gathered around the computers motherboard and looking up at the screen on the wall that showed Valkyrie and Skulduggery sitting at a table with Nefarian standing next to them. Valkyrie was looking down at the table as Skulduggery striked conversation with Nefarian.

"Ah... Nefarian. How was your vacation?" Skulduggery asked him.

"Don't play with me," Nefarian acidly replies back to him.

"I'm not. I am genuinely curious."

"Which one are you talking about?" Nefarian says following what Skulduggery was doing.

What Skulduggery wasn't expecting was for Valkyrie to say something but leave it to her to do the unexpected. Tanith winces when Valkyrie replies to Nefarians snide comment.

"The one to hell," She says. Everybody stiffens as they watch everything unfold on the screen in front of them. Tanith walks over to her seat and sits down Fletcher leans forward in his own chair and Dexter Saracen and china step forward as they wait to see what happens.

"What did you say?" Nefarian says glaring at Valkyrie.

"You heard me. The vacation to hell, how did it go?' Valkyrie stubborn side was coming out again.

Everybody watches as the human Skulduggery snickers and Nefarian goes bright red.

"The next time you talk to me like that you little rat, I _will_ kill you," Nefarian says stepping close to Valkyrie making her lean back a little and everybody in the surveillance room cringe and Cause Skulduggery to glare at him. Nefarian smiles and turns to Skulduggery.

"Now Pleasant. Keep your little pet reined in will you?"

Skulduggery watches what Valkyrie's reaction is to that. And it isn't good. She waits tell Nefarian had turned away to grab his shoulder and as he turned toward her, her hand met his face making a satisfying cracking sound to Skulduggery's imaginary ears and falls into the table a few feet away making it crash to the ground along with him. Valkyrie stepped forward towering over Nefarian who was laying on the ground holding his broken nose that was now bleeding non stop. He started to get up again but she grabbed his arm and pulled it behind his back and twisted it so if he moved at all the arm would be pulled out of it's socket causing him a large amount of pain if not unbearable, all of this happened in a matter of a minute not giving the Skulduggery there enough time to process what was happening before it had stopped.

Tanith was about to say something or possibly cheer her on but both china and Skulduggery shushed her to hear what Valkyrie was now saying to Nefarian but the camera was too far away and she was talking to quietly and a few moments later she is standing up still staring down at him with pity in her eyes. She was turning around when Nefarian jumps up and before she could block him he had punched her in the head so hard she landed on the floor and didn't get back up. Tanith cried out, fletcher yelled her name and Saracen and Dexter winced. China just looked away but Skulduggery just stood there waiting for what he knew was coming next.

His younger self-shot up and grabbed Nefarain by the neck slamming him against the wall, He leaned down to say something in Nefarians ear and even though he everybody else couldn't hear what he was saying Skulduggery could remember what the conversation like it was just yesterday.

 _He leaned forward so he was in Nefarians face and he had hold of his neck but he was ready to ram it through the wall if he made one wrong move. " If you ever touch her again Nefarian you will have me to deal with," A smirk crosses Nefarians face, which only makes Skulduggery more angered. He tightens his hold on Nefarians neck, which cuts off the only small amount of air that was let through to his lungs before causing him to start choking._

 _"If you ever come as far as five feet away from her. You will have me being the one killing you. I know what she told you and if I know one thing about her she never lies so if I were you I would believe her and I would run. NOW!" He lets Nefarian go and he runs out of the building along with boo's from the other customers in the restaurant. Once he's gone they cheer._

Skulduggery comes back to himself to Tanith shaking his shoulder. They had paused the computer screen, which was now blank. He looked around at everybody and then walked out of the room heading to his office to think things over. He ignored every body until he got to the door that had _Mr. Pleasant and Mrs. Cain's office._ Written across the frosted glass window. He opens the door and enters walking over to the comfy chair he had bought for Valkyrie a few years ago. He stared at the wall which consisted of several pictures of him and Valkyrie though there were a few with the dead men to on one of their missions but the one picture he caught himself staring at the longest was one taken a week before Valkyrie had left for her job in America. It was of them standing in front of the Bentley with her arm around Skullduggery's waist with a big smile on her face. Tanith had taken this picture, which allowed Skulduggery to be in it, and he had his face tilted to the right showing he was smiling. The story behind that picture is what made it one of his favorites but he knew that if he relived that he would miss Valkyrie even more and so he was just content with staring at Valkyries beautiful face.

He stands up and walks over to it putting his finger on her face. "I'll get you back. Even if it does kill me, I'll get you back. I promise."

Someone clears their throat behind him and he turns around to see Dexter standing there. "Yes?" he asks.

"We found out some good news." He says.

" Finally. What is it?"

"Well... we found out that when we thought you would be dead if Valkyrie came back that wouldn't be the truth."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that if she comes back you'll still be alive." Dexter says.


	10. The beginning of a brand new life

**_A/N_**

 ** _Thanks everybody for all of you support with my story. It started with a sentence on a sticky note and now it's turned into a story that i keep on adding too. I'm glad everybody likes its and I'll try to keep updating on it though my rough draft stops after these next two chapters and I would be more then happy to have any ideas of where the story might go or if you have any characters that you want to add in and what they look like. Like I said I am open to any suggestions or add ins. Hope like this chapter and I'll try to update as soon as I have some time._**

 ** _Skyler S._**

Valkyrie gasped when she saw everybody. Ghastly stood at the front with a wide grin on his face. It took her a few seconds but she recognized a younger Dexter, a thinner younger Saracen, A shorter yet still handsome Erskine l and a short haired Anton. Two other men were also standing there that Valkyrie didn't know but she almost had to laugh at their identical joyous expressions.

Skulduggery gently set Valkyrie down after coming inside the house and shutting the door behind him with his foot. "Well did you do it?" Dexter asks excitedly.

Skulduggery looks down at his feet and scuffs it against the floor. "Well um... guys we never got to that point because we ran into the wonderful Nefarian Serpine. Now if you gentle men will excuse me I need to go get Elizabeth some ice."

Dexter starts to lose his grin along with everybody else in the group of men as Skulduggery walks past them leading Valkyrie by the shoulders to the kitchen where she stopped him and put her hands on his shoulders. "Stay here and I'll go get it myself. Go explain to them whatever they need to know. Because it looks to me like they put a lot of work for something and it would be rude to waste."

Skulduggery smiles then leans down and kisses her. A few moments later they part and he leaves to go back into the living room and entertain their guest while Valkyrie went over to the desk by the door and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. She wrote:

 _Skulduggery,_

 _Went for a walk. Nothings wrong just needed some fresh air._

 _I'll be back soon._

 _Love you,_

 _Elizabeth._

She puts it on the counter then grabs some ice from the old box freezer and heads out the back door into the cool night air. She made sure she was far enough away from the house to where if anybody came outside they wouldn't be able to hear her and then she turned to where she thought the camera would be.

"You there?" she asks quietly trying to focus on something. It was weird enough talking to thin air even if she really wasn't.

She waited for a reply but she didn't get one. "Saracen? Skulduggery? Tanith? Anybody there?" Still nobody replied.

Tears came to her eyes and even though she was trying to stay strong she sank to the ground now sobbing. "I'm sorry guys, I should have got out of the car and away from Thomas, I just didn't realize ... that... that... he wanted me. God Skulduggery I'm... so sorry!"

Valkyrie heard a twig snap and she quickly stood up and wiped the tears away trying to hide that she was crying if it was Skulduggery.

"Skulduggery? Is that you?" she called out. Nothing. She looked around her for a glimpse of movement or anything but it was too dark to tell.

"Whoever you are step out so I can see you." She knew that she was being a wimp but she couldn't help it. It was kind of hard losing everybody you loved but yet seeing them every single day knowing they aren't the one that grew into the ones you cared and loved for.

She looked up as a woman came through the bushes in front of her. She was slim and tall but had a boxers build. She had long brown hair that was braided off to the side and beautiful crystal blue eyes.

"Who are you? What is your name?" Valkyrie asks taking a step backward from the woman but she oddly enough felt comfortable around her like she did with ghastly there was a essence of kindness that surrounded this woman but she knew out of experience to never trust what you felt in these kind of situations.

"My name is Jocelyn bespoke, you must be Valkyrie Cain." The woman replies in a voice that was oddly smooth and comforting to her.

Valkyrie just stared at her not believing that this was Ghastly's mother that she was staring at. The woman that ghastly talked about with love and care and respect and the woman that Skulduggery had killed in his blind rage as lord vile after he had lost his family to Serpine.

"How did you... Your Ghastly's mother, your a physic."

Jocelyn smiled " Yes I am, I saw you appear here from a different time, you can't get back though?"

"Yes. Does Ghastly know about me?"

"No, I am the only one. I came here to offer you my help,"

"Your help?"

"You're stuck here because you are destined to be Skulduggery's wife and if you leave he will die in your time. I'm afraid that I can't help you get home. But I can save your child."

"You can?"

"Yes I can and I will if you want me too."

"Yes! Yes! Anything,"

"Well then I will see you soon Valkyrie but for now I must be going. Good bye."

Jocelyn stepped back into the wood and was lost from sight. It was very unnecessarily dramatic in Valkyries eyes but she was so excited from the new that her and Skulduggery's child's life might not be lost after all that she didn't really care.

She stood there for what seemed like ages thinking about what she had been told. _I can save your child._ That was good. That meant that all Skulduggery would lose was her. It was a bad ending for her life but as long as Skulduggery would have a piece of her then maybe, just maybe he would be able to live with out her.

She heard something rustle in the bushes again and a few seconds later Skulduggery stepped out.

"There you are, you had me worried. Is everything alright?" he put his hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him.

"I'm fine. Just thinking about all sort of clever little things is all." She smiled up at him. "Is everybody still there?"

"Yes, they were cleaning up," he replies glancing behind him towards the cottage.

"Cleaning up? What for?"

"I told them your were resting so they were leaving so you could have some peace and quiet. It's all very thoughtful of them if you ask me." He says looking back at her.

"Well, we better hurry then. They threw a beautiful party for you and I for one am not going to let them waste it. Besides I want some of that chocolate cake that i glimpsed on my way to the kitchen."

Skulduggery laughs and grabs her hand as they start walking back to the cottage. "Leave it to you to put others before yourself." He says laughing to laughing to himself.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No it's a wonderful thing and that's why I love you." He says leaning down and giving her a peck on the lips that soon turned into a heated long lasting kiss rather then what he intended when he first leaned down to brush her pale pink lips.

When they parted he gazed down at her as she gazed right back up. "I love you," she says still staring into his eyes, "I love _you,_ " he replies.

They started their stroll back again but Valkyrie's mind was on other things then the emotional kiss they had just exchanged. She was sure that deserved better then what would happen to him. And there was no way in hell she was going to let Nefarian Serpine kill Skulduggery's child. Not if she could help it at the very least.

They arrived back at the house right as Dexter was starting to walk out the front door. When he heard them walk up he turned around. "Oh, I'm sorry if we woke you Elizabeth we were just leaving." He says smiling kindly at her.

"No stay, Please. It would be a treat and honor to have you here, please stay." Valkyrie says.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely, it would be my pleasure."

"Okay I'll go let the others know." Dexter runs out and Skulduggery turns Valkyrie toward him.

"That was a very nice thing you did Miss Cain," he says. His eyes glistening with pride.

"Well, it was no problem Mister Pleasant,"

"What do you think of becoming Mrs. Elizabeth Pleasant? Not that I don't love your last name but I've been having a urge these last few months to call you Mrs. Pleasant."

Valkyrie just stared at him. "You mean you want to marry me?"

"No. I want to take you around town and pretend. Of course I want to marry you silly."

"Me? Out of all the woman you could choose you choose me?"

"Yes." Skulduggery says. "Elizabeth Cain. Will you stoop so low as to marry a peasant such of the likes of me and become my caring and selfless wife that I will love for how ever long we both shall live and even after we part you will still own my heart."

"Yes, yes I will!" Skulduggery grabs her around the waist and spins her around and sets her back down and then the next thing she knows his lips are on hers and they are kissing each like there is no tomorrow. Both of them being greedy with each other but not caring and not wanting to part but knowing they have to soon.

After two heated showings of affection in one night it made Valkyrie dizzy but that didn't stop her from grinning like a fool when they turned to the dead men that were staring at them with wide grins in the driveway.

Skulduggery and Valkyrie accepted the congratulations that everybody gave to them and after a few hours of fun conversation and cake they departed with the thanks of the new partners to be. And if Valkyrie didn't know of her future this would have been the happiest day of her life other then that fateful day when she was twelve and a skeleton in a snappy suit named Skulduggery pleasant had came and saved her from a henchmen who was immune of fire.


	11. Flashback to the past

**A/N**

 **So here is a quick flash back that Valkyrie has to her past when her family dies. I know it doesn't even come close to what Derrick Landy could write but I did my best. I hope you all like it and I'm so sorry it's so short but I realized that once i finished it I had no idea how to continue the story since I came up against a short bout of Writers block. If you could help and give me any suggestions on how you want me to write the wedding like**

 **1.) what kind of wedding dress Valkyrie wears,**

 **2.) Who the guests are,**

 **3.) (You can make your own character to be a guest at the wedding just tell me what he looks like what nationality, what relation he has to the new couple and a short past story then i can add them in.)**

 **4.) where the wedding is held and if so what kind of theme it is.**

 **Anything helps and so please comment with you ideas and i'll update as soon as I get some ideas. Thanks everybody for your support!**

 **Skyler S**

 _"Mom? Dad?" Valkyrie yelled into the house._

 _A matter of fifteen minutes earlier she had got a call from someone, a guy from how deep the voice was, saying that he had her family captured and that he was waiting for her. If she didn't come, he had warned, it wouldn't be that hard slitting their throat._

 _She turned around to see the Bentley pull up in front of her house. She cursed but knew that no matter how much that she hated that he didn't listen and believe her lies that she was grateful that he had come incase they were too late. She knew she would need some moral support if she hadn't arrived in time even if she never would admit it._

 _Her hand sparked with electricity as she rounded the corner into their living room. She heard Skulduggery's gun cock in the entryway so she quickly but quietly sprinted over to the stairway up to the top floor she trusted Skulduggery to search the bottom floor looking for her and if he found them she would hear it._

 _She made it to the top and heard a noise from little Alice's room. Glancing around her to make sure that it wasn't a trap she walked over to the door and listened to see if she could hear anything else. There was a scuffling noise like a chair being scooted across the floor. Valkyrie's raised her hand and the door crashed to the ground as the electricity hit it. She heard Skulduggery pause down stairs and then head for the stairs but she was already headed into the room._

 _Her sister was tied to a chair right next to the window with the guy standing behind her with a knife to her neck she glanced around to see where her parents were tied and found them lying on the ground. Her dad had a knife sticking out of his back and through his chest and he was propped up on the wall like he had tried to get back up but he had died before he could. Her mother lay face down on the floor with bullet wounds riddled through out her body. A pool of blood surrounded both of them. Valkyrie put the image into the back of her mind and focused her attention on the problem at hand she could mourn her parents later. Fight now morn later was what she always said. Now it was time for her to follow her own rules._

 _She could hear Skulduggery reaching the top of the stairs and checking the rooms one at a time. The man could hear him too and so he slowly backed up with Alice still with the knife pressed against her small neck. Her eyes were filled with terror and she was reaching for Valkyrie who took a step toward them._

 _"_ One step and I slit her throat," _The man's gruff voice said. Oddly enough Skulduggery didn't come running into the room and then Valkyrie realized that he had said it to her in her mind and not aloud. He was a physic. Figures._

 _Valkyrie hesitated and the man slowly moves the knife away from her sister's neck. She sighed and Valkyrie smiled at her sister's relief. Though she knew that the trouble wasn't over yet. And to prove that point the man grabbed Alice closer and slid the knife right across her neck._

 _Valkyrie couldn't help it. She screamed Alice's name as her sister fell to the ground. Her eyes wide and unblinking as death took over and a large pool of blood flowing around her small body, Valkyrie sprinted toward the man right as Skulduggery came running into the room. She collided with the man and they both crashed to the floor fighting each other, the man blocking every desperate punch and elbow from Valkyrie that was thrown._

 _Skulduggery raised his gun but Valkyrie was in his way so he didn't shoot. All he could do was stare as his partner fought with the man that had killed her family. He knew what she was feeling right now._

 _She was feeling blind rage and she couldn't control it. It was devouring her whole and if she didn't fight it she would become just like Skulduggery and she couldn't do that as long as she loved him because no matter what he said it would hurt him more then it would ever hurt her. Then next thing she knew she was standing up. The man about to bolt out the window when Skulduggery's gun goes off and bullet goes right through his brain. Valkyrie smiles at the small victory even though it wasn't her own. And then she is on the floor cradling her sister and sobbing. Skulduggery walks over to her and then gave her a tight hug as she cradled her dead younger sister. All he could provide was the comfort that he didn't have when the same thing had happened to him._


	12. The wedding

**A/N**

 **I want to say thanks to Blufox03 for helping me come up with the idea for this wedding and so this chapter never would have been the way it was if it wasn't for you. Thank you so much for helping! Hope everybody enjoys.**

 **Skyler S.**

Valkyrie stared at herself in the mirror as she tried to attempt to adjust her wedding dress by herself, but she soon gave up. She was wearing a pale off white dress since no matter how much she begged Skulduggery she couldn't wear a black wedding dress. She didn't care if it was morbid but he didn't allow it so it left her wearing this... Thing. It was overall a very nice dress and the only thing Valkyrie hated about it was that it wasn't black. Blue diamonds wrapped around her waist and the dress then flowed to the floor in a natural way that made fit her body shape just right. Instead of having straps or short puffed sleeves, they went down to her wrist and were made of very intricate pale grey lace. The dress also had the same lace rim around the v- neck rim and to top it all off, Instead of a traditional veil she chose to wear a white Fedora with black ribbon tied around the base. All in all the whole thing looked perfect on her but she still wanted her black wedding dress

As she finished fussing with the dress there was a knock on the door and Ghastly came in to the room. He was wearing a Dark Navy Blue suit with a pitch-black bow tie. After all bow ties were cool. He smiled at her as she turned to face him and they hugged each other. Their friendship had grown to be almost as close as when he was alive in her dimension. As they parted he stepped back and looked her up and down.

"You look absolutely stunning. I won't be surprised if Skulduggery doesn't just drop dead on the alter when he first catches sight of you." He says.

"I highly doubt that. He'll probably just feint." Valkyrie says grinning at him. They both double over in laughter.

Once they had both calmed down Ghastly looked at her again with the pride of a father glistening through. The same fatherly look he gave her when she was twelve and he had advised her to leave their world and go home to her life, The same look he had gave her when she was lying on the medical bed in the sanctuary and in the care of the greedy no good son of a bitch Nye. And the same look he had given her on their last mission as the dead men before him and Anton had died at the hands of Erskine.

Valkyrie started to tear up even though she fought the tears they started there slow decent down her cheeks. Ghastly who didn't know the actual reason stepped toward her and pulled her against him holding her in his strong arms whispering words of kindness as she let it go. Every thing she had been holding back since years before came out at the one time. And even though she would never admit it. She was glad that ghastly was the one there and not her husband to be.

After a few minutes Valkyrie calmed down and wiped her eyes. Luckily not smudging her black eyeliner as she did so. Ghastly waited for her at the door of Skulduggery's cottage and she was soon taking his arm and they started their slow march around the house to the field where Skulduggery awaited her. Her bridesmaid, Jocelyn, had gone a few minutes before with Skulduggery's best man, Dexter.

The rest of the dead men along with Skulduggery's older brother were the guests. His parents wanted to come but because of recent events that caused Blake, Skulduggery's father, to get hurt and so they couldn't attend unfortunately. Even so Valkyrie was at least happy to have the dead men there even if they weren't her dead men.

Valkyrie saw Skulduggery gasp when he saw them start to come down the white lane that had been lain down on the bright green grass to be the aisle. Everybody turned as she and ghastly almost reached the alter. Valkyrie saw Jocelyn's eyes tear up when she saw Valkyrie and she smiled sadly. It was hard enough knowing that she wasn't going to make it but she couldn't imagine being in Jocelyn's shoes having to watch it happen and also try to save the child too.

Erskine who was the priest started talking as they stopped. "Do you Ghastly Bespoke give this young woman's hand in marriage to Skulduggery Pleasant?" he says. Ghastly smiles at me warmly and I give my hand to Skulduggery as I step forward to stand in front of him. What I hadn't known from the distance was that Skulduggery was crying. It hurt me to see him cry but I knew they were for a good reason. At least they weren't the ones that were soon to come.

Ghastly who had said yes after letting go of my arm took his seat in the front row of white benches and then Erskine was starting the ceremony.

 _"We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, and to cherish the words which shall unite Skulduggery Pleasant and Elizabeth Cain in marriage. "_ Valkyrie and Skulduggery smiled at each other

 _"Marriage is the promise between two people who love each other, and who trust in that love, who honor each other as individuals, and who choose to spend the rest of their lives together._

 _"This ceremony will not create a relationship between you. It's a symbol of how far you have come these past few years or months in your case."_ Everybody laughed at this.

 _"It is a symbol of the promises you will make to each other to continue growing stronger as individuals and as partners. No matter what challenges you face, you now face them together, and no matter how much you succeed, you now succeed together. The love between you joins you now as one. The bride and groom now have a few words to add to this."_

Skulduggery and Valkyrie looked at each other and there was nothing but love and adoration in both of their glistening eyes. Skulduggery says his Vows first. Allways the one to win.

"I choose you, be no other than yourself, loving what I know of you since obviously it's not that much," Valkyrie laughed and took her right hand away from his hold for a second to wipe the tears that were now freely falling down her cheeks.

"Trusting who you will become. I will respect and honor you always and in all ways. With you I pledge to repair one small piece of the world. I take you to be my spouse, to have and to hold, in tears and laughter, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward, in this world and the next. " Skulduggery took the golden ring from Dexter and slowly slid it on her ring finger while they both cried tears of joy at this it was now Valkyries turn. She calmed herself down and then started saying her vows.

" I love you enough to fight for you. Compromise for you, and sacrifice myself for you if need be. Enough to miss you incredibly when we're apart, no matter what length of time it's for and regardless of the distance, Enough to believe in our relationship, to stand by it through the worst of times, to have faith in our strength as a couple and to never give up on us. Enough to spend the rest of my life with you, be ther for you when you need or want me, and never, ever want to leave you or live without you. I love you this much." She gently took the gold and silver band from Dexter and slid it on Skulduggery's ring finger that, once the ring was on, started kissing her. Their mouth mashing against each other's and nothing but love and passion in the action, She heard Erskine say. "I now pronounce you husband and wife and I would say you could kiss the bride but it looks like you beat me to it Skulduggery." Skulduggery who couldn't help smiling parted from her but still held her tightly to him and if it was up to her she would never let him go.

"You know me Erskine, I was always the fastest." For Erskine's part he just smiled.

The new couple turned toward their few guest and the next thing Valkyrie knew she was in Skulduggery's arm that was walking down the aisle to everybody's cheers. Once they reached the end he sat her down and waited why she went up stairs to get dressed into something more comfortable then the wedding dress.

When she came back down she found Skulduggery talking with Dexter and Saracen and she decided it best to let him chat so she went to enjoy the punch.

She was just done pouring some into her cup when someone wrapped their arms around her. She turned to stare into Skulduggery's crystal blue eyes and smiled. "What do you say after the reception is over we go up to bed and enjoy ourselves? Hmm?"

Valkyrie laughed then agreed that once the guests were all long gone they would celebrate there wedding in their own way.

The reception lasted tell nightfall and after thanking all the guest and seeing them off Valkyrie was being dragged to their bedroom and all she could think was this was going to be one of the best nights of her life with the most amazing husband in the world. All she hoped was that the camera didn't follow.


	13. Sickness?

"Ah... Ah... Ah choo!"

"Elizabeth you okay?" Skulduggery calls up the stairs to the bedroom where Valkyrie was getting dressed. He waits for a reply but doesn't get one. "Elizabeth?"

"I'm fine!" she replies her voice muffled as she pulls the black blouse over her head.

"You sure?" Skulduggery questions her from down stairs; Valkyrie rolls her eyes at his concern and calls back down. "Don't worry. It was just a sneeze. I'm fine!"

She starts to laugh when she hears his reply. "Yes but a sneeze usually leads to a runny nose which turns into a sore throat that becomes a cough that soon turns into the flu and possibly your deathbed, in no way possible is a sneeze fine Elizabeth."

"Okay then mister pleasant. You can come up and take care of me like a real doctor. I know you want to and beside you don't want me to be on a deathbed do you?"

Skulduggery laughs and she can hear him start walking up the steps. He knew how to make her anxious and it annoyed her to no end. So she decided to cause him a little trouble finding her. She looked around the bedroom. Skulduggery's bedroom was so different then the guest room she had been staying in. There was a large queen bed on the center of the far wall when you walk into the room. A closet was on the right side and that was where the dressers were. There was no way she would be able to hide in there so she started quickly searching for somewhere else. She decided to try the ceiling trick that Tanith had taught her when she was 14 and went into the bathroom that was connected to the bedroom to try it out again.

A few moments later Skulduggery entered the room with a grin on his face. He looked around the room surprised when he realized she wasn't in the room. He showed his half sided grin and went into the bathroom. He pulled back the shower curtain and took on a curious look when Valkyrie wasn't in there. He opened the closet for towels that was behind the door but she wasn't there either. _Where the hell could she be?_ He thinks to himself as he starts to walk out of the bathroom. But before he can exit something hit's him on the back and he lands face first on the floor. The familiar weight of Elizabeth lay on top of him and they started laughing together.

Skulduggery managed to turn around and wrap his hands around her slim waist and kiss her heatedly. She returned the gesture but as soon as it started it ended with Valkyrie jumping off of him and sprinting for the toilet a few feet away, and started violently puking into it. Skulduggery shot up and went over to hold her long raven black hair back and rub her back gently. A few moments later she stopped with several dry heaves and sat back against the wall exhausted with Skulduggery's help.

Skulduggery ran his fingers through her silky hair tell Valkyrie spoke.

"You know it's probably a good thing that we didn't continue kissing you know," she said with a small smile. Skulduggery laughs and pulls her into a hug against his side. She wraps her long arms around his waist and sighs. _This is nice._ She thinks and then a few seconds later she is heading back to the toilet to puke up her guts again. Maybe Skulduggery was right she was getting the flu.

When Valkyrie was done with the whole ordeal Skulduggery picked her up gently bridal style and sat her down on the bed, pulling the blanket over her and sitting down besides her holding her hand.

"You okay?" he asks her as she closes her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm just a little tired is all," She replies sleepily. Skulduggery gently smiles at her and lies beside her. "So much for having all that fun," he says jokingly. She gently punches his arm and the next thing he knows she is softly snoring next to him. He sighs and hugs her to him as he too goes to sleep.

8-0-0-8-0-0-8-0-0-8-0-0-8-0-0-8

A few hours later Valkyrie wakes up. Skulduggery is holding her tight to him but she manages to wiggle out of his grip and head to the kitchen. She grabs some peanut butter out of the cupboard and then goes and gets some ketchup, she then takes the last two slices of bread and spreads peanut butter on one side and the ketchup on the other and puts ham in the center. She didn't hesitate to take a bite into the monstrosity of a sandwich and smiles. Surprisingly it tasted good to her. She sets it down and grabs some dried potatoes chips out of the cabinet and pours them on the plate with her sandwich. She's putting the bag away when Skulduggery comes into the kitchen; he walks over to her sandwich and looks at it. Valkyrie turns to find him analyzing her sandwich and she slaps his arm. He sets the sandwich on the plate and wraps his arms around her waist. She sighs and rests her head against his abdomen.

"You know, eating something like that is probably not the best thing to eat after puking your guts out,"

Valkyrie rolls her eyes and laughs. "I'm fine, beside I was craving it and you know how I get when I can't eat what I want."

She feels him nod knowingly and she only laughs harder. He laughs with her, as he helps her to the table, not that she needed it but he loved doing that for her. She smiled thankfully and started biting into her disgusting sandwich. Skulduggery looks away and starts roaming through the cupboards for something edible rather then the inedible thing Valkyrie was eating. He just found an apple on the counter when Valkyrie rushes past him and starts vomiting into the sink. He sets the apple down and pats her on the back as he holds her hair back. A few minutes later she's done and is rinsing her mouth out with a glass of water.

"You know, I'm very tempted to tell you I told you so... but I think I'm to nice to do that to you," Skulduggery says jokingly to her but when Valkyrie turns around clutching her stomach with a tired expression on her face he doesn't hesitate to carry her into the living room and set her on the couch. She pulls her feet up hoping that will stop the pain and Skulduggery sits down where they were patting her knee lovingly.

"You want me to call a doctor?" he asks her as he watches her go through another bout of stomach pain. She nods her head in a no and he just sighs.

He knew that she was to stubborn to admit she had got the flu and so he decided if she wasn't better in a week he would get the local doctor to come and check her out and hopefully find out what was wrong.

-0-0-8-0-0-8-0-0-8-0-0-8-0-0-8-0-

Valkyrie is still sick with the flu when the week ends. So Skulduggery reluctantly leaves Valkyrie with ghastly as he goes into town to get the aid of Kenspeckle grouse. When they arrive Grouse kicks out Skulduggery and Ghastly of the bedroom and goes to work.

He asks her a lot of questions about how bad the pain was in her stomach, does it stop, where is it, is it when you vomit and stuff like that so in the end Valkyrie was more confused then anything. Once he's done with the check up he goes to his black bag and pulls out a box. Valkyrie gives him a curious look and he smiles sadly at her. He hands the box to her and she looks down at it reading the title. _Pregnancy tests._

Valkyrie didn't' think that they had these back then and Kenspeckle catches on to her confusion.

"Yes we have them in this time Valkyrie," She whips her head to him from the box in her hand

"How... how do you know my name and how...?"

"Thomas told me to expect Skulduggery to come in a few months after he was married and have me come check on his wife. His wife was a dark haired girl that was called Valkyrie Cain and was going by the name Elizabeth Cain. She had been taken back in time and would most probably need a shoulder to lean on that knew what was actually going on." Kenspeckle said.

Valkyrie looked back down on the box and thought over what he had just said, it meant a lot what Jonathan had done for her and she realized that she had forgave him along time ago. She just hadn't realized it. Kenspeckle puts his hand on her shoulder,

"You should probably go take the test. That's the only way we will know." He says. She looks up at him and then grabs one test out of the box and heads to the bathroom. She goes through the process and leans against the counter as she waits for it to tell her. She only has to wait a few moments before the test is ready and she leans down to read it.

 _Positive_

Valkyrie just set it back down and leaned agianst the sink staring down at the test.

"Valkyrie? What is the result?" Kenspeckle asks right outside the door. She collects herself and hands the test to him as she walks past and heads back to the bed. Kenspeckle just slowly nods at his hand. "That's what I though," he says as he walks over to his bag. Valkyrie just watches him put his things away until he turns toward her.

"Congratulations Valkyrie. No worries i won't tell Skulduggery the news. I'll leave it to you to tell him the news. I will see you in a few months to check on you."

Valkyrie just nods and watches him walk out. She rolls over facing the wall and falls asleep to Skulduggery and Ghastly saying good bye to Kesnpeckle as he leaves to head back to Dublin.


	14. The good news

Valkyrie awoke minutes later to Skulduggery climbing in bed with her and cuddling her up to him. She smiled and then closed her eyes and fell back asleep. Skulduggery smiled down at her and then he too fell asleep, he just hoped that everything was going to be okay.

They both awoke later that night in each other's arms. Valkyrie's stomach was hurting but she didn't say anything about it just yet. Skulduggery yawned and wouldn't let Valkyrie climb out of bed so she gave up and laid back down but not before a wince escaped her as she moved. Skulduggery went on high alert and started making sure she was okay which Valkyrie assure him she was, but he wouldn't give up so Valkyrie decided know time then the now to tell him the good news.

"Skulduggery, I'm fine. It has to do with what I found out yesterday from Kenspeckle, It's not bad news believe me."

"What was it then?" he asked her.

"It wasn't the flu if that's what your worried about,"

"That's a blessing, I was scared I would have to suffer your wrath for weeks."

"Well you scared of a couple weeks I can only imagine nine months."

Skulduggery goes quite and just stares down at her. She grins back up at him and he glanced down to her flat stomach then back to her face. She nods at him and then he is grinning and hugging her to him tight. Then he's kissing her deeply and puts his hand on her stomach after they are finished.

"Is it bad to be happy that I got my wife knocked up after our first try?" Skulduggery asked her as she climbed out of bed and put her clothes on that Ghastly had gave her the day before as a get well present. It was a dark red blouse and a black skirt that went down to her knee's with a black shrug on to go over it. Compared to what she usually wore back in her time it was pretty fancy but in this time it was normal for woman like her to wear that weren't exactly girly girls. Apparently they couldn't wear pants yet.

"No, I don't believe so. Beside I'm very happy to be pregnant and carrying your child. So no there is nothing wrong with being excited about having a child on the way. I would be worried if you weren't happy." Valkyrie replies buttoning her blouse up.

Skulduggery slid off the bed and walked over to steal the jacket from her hands and put it on her himself. She smiled at him and he wrapped his hands around her waist hugging her from behind.

"So Mrs. Pleasant are you hungry?" he asks her. She nods and he lets go of her to walk over the door.

"Do you want breakfast in bed or down in the kitchen?"

"Down in the kitchen is fine, I'll be right down I just have to find some socks."

"Good luck with that," he says with a wink and walks out of the room shutting the door behind him before Valkyrie can throw anything at him.

She smiles to herself and starts hunting around the room for socks, she glances a black one a few feet away when she got a very long lasting feeling that someone was there with her and then she realized it was the camera and she got a bout of homesickness. It had to suck for Skulduggery watching this happen all over again knowing how it will end. She smiled at the camera and turned around and grabbed the pair of socks on the ground. She glanced out the window on the way to the door and the odd thing was she could swear she saw a tall man with a fedora and a suit standing beneath the shade of the tree's in the forest behind their cottage but when she looked again nobody was there.

"Stop it Valkyrie, now's not the time." She says to herself and shaking her head. She walks out of the room and shuts the door behind her.

 ** _Skulduggery's POV_**

Skulduggery follows Dexter to a meeting room where he said there was someone waiting for them there. He didn't say anything on the way even though he knew it made Dexter uncomfortable. He just wasn't in the mood to make small chat. Once they reached it Skulduggery walked in first and had to stop himself from launching at the man standing in front of him and killing him. Dexter steps in between them and Skulduggery just ignores him. Staring at Thomas Time.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he ask him. Thomas nods like he expected it and starts to talk.

"I came back to take you to see Valkyrie, I'm not the one in your time though. I'm from the time Valkyrie is in right now."

"So. Who the hell cares. Did she send you?"

"No. She didn't actually, that was Jocelyn. She figured out how to get your child back to you along with your wife but it involves you going back in time to get them back. "

"Then what the hell are we waiting for then, take me!" Skulduggery says stepping form behind Dexter.

"There is one thing though. You'll be stuck there for ten month's before you guys can come back. Valkyrie just found out she was pregnant and so in nine month's she will give birth to your child. A month after that is when China will come to take them and we want to cut it as close as we can so we don't arise suspicion from the younger version of you and the others."

"I'm still going."

"Okay then, do you have anything you want to take with you?"

"Not that I know of. I'm saving the only thing right now."

"Alright. Thank you Again Mr. Vex for helping us. Mr. Pleasant this will be just like teleportation so I'm guessing you know how that works?"

"I do."

"Okay let's go, " Skulduggery puts his hand on Thomas's shoulder and leaves as Dexter salutes him with a smile. They arrive a few moments later in a forest. It takes Skulduggery a few seconds to realize it's the one right behind his cottage and he can see the house through the underbrush and tree's, He turns to tell Thomas thank you but he was already gone. Now all Skulduggery could hope for was he would show up when it came time to leave.

Skulduggery decided to get a little closer to his old cottage and stood under the shadow of the old pine tree. He caught a glimpse of movement from upstairs and he hurried behind the tree glancing up to the window. Whoever it was had left and Skulduggery sighed in relief.

He stood there for awhile trying to figure out what he was going to do for ten months and how he was going to let Valkyrie know he was here with out himself finding out. He grunted as he realized the only way for any of this was to work was go to Ghastly's shop and explain. He was not looking forward to this.


	15. Finding Help

**_A/N_**

 ** _Sorry it's so short. I will try to post another chapter of this soon when I have time. Hope you like It._**

 ** _Skyler S_**

Skulduggery walked into ghastly's shop and waited for him to walk out of the back. The bell had rung but it still took the Tailor awhile to come out of his fabric room but he soon did and gasped as he saw the living skeleton in his shop. He collected himself after a few seconds and smiled kindly at Skulduggery.

"What may I help you with sir?"

Skulduggery smiles at his old friend but since Ghastly can't tell that he decides its probably time to start talking. Mine as well start off small,

"Can I talk to you about something important?" Skulduggery asks him. Ghastly's smile fades a little when he hears Skulduggery's voice but quickly regains it and laughs.

"You sound oddly a lot like my friend Skulduggery Pleasant. Could you be related to him?"

"Well if you mean by being related to him that you ARE him then yes, you're on the right track."

Ghastly loses the smile and takes a step back with wide eyes. "What happened to you? What about Valkyrie? God is she okay? What about the baby? Who did this?"

"Ghastly calm down. Valkyrie is absolutely fine or at least when I last checked. And that's what I'm here to explain because I need your help with something. Are you willing?"

"Yes, sure. Just a second." Ghastly hurries by him and puts the closed sign on the door and then closes the blinds. It takes him a few moments but he's soon leading Skulduggery into his living room. They both sit down and ghastly starts it off.

"So what happened? How the hell did you become a skeleton? And who the hell did it?"

"Well. This is going to take some time to explain so are you comfortable?"

Ghastly laughs "Just get to the point Skulduggery. What happened?"

Skulduggery nodded and started explaining everything that happened, him losing his wife and child to Serpine during the war, him dying and coming back as a skeleton and winning the war. He didn't decided to mention the little slide to the dark side and he knew that Valkyrie would be the only one that ever knew that side of him. He then explained how he decided to become a detective and was one for many years and still is but a few years ago he met a young stubborn 12 year old girl that soon became his partner and best friend and they had went through a lot together. He said how she had saved him from the faceless one's dimension and how after that their relationship grew until a few minutes before she was taken back in time when they confessed their love to each other. He mentioned how they talked through a device after she had came here but since the wedding and good news's it was very rare. Then he explained how he was able to come her to save their lives but having to wait ten months and needing a place to stay.

"Well, that's a lot to take in," Ghastly says amazed.

"I can imagine. I always wondered how Valkyrie was able to take it in stride when I explained everything to her in even more detail then I just did for you,"

"So... should I still call her Elizabeth or start calling her Valkyrie?"

"Don't call her Valkyrie because I can imagine the younger self of me doesn't know about any of this yet. Probably never will. Just keep calling her Elizabeth but when i get the chance to see her again. She'll know that you know and it's her choice of whatever she wants you to call her from then on." Skulduggery replies.

"Ok... well I have a extra bedroom you can stay in upstairs if you don't mind staying with me."

"That sounds perfect." Skulduggery says. "And Ghastly? Thank you for understanding what is going on and helping me. I can only imagine how hard this is to be able to understand,"

"Oh, there's the smart ass side, no problem."


	16. nightmares of loss

**_I don't own any of the Skulduggery Pleasant characters I'm afraid neither do I own the little excerpt from the_** **Skulduggery Pleasant: Dark Days.**

 ** _A/N_**

 ** _Hey everybody! Sorry for not updating sooner. I have been extremely busy with life and schoolwork and so that is why I have not updated sooner sadly. Today is my first day of spring break though so I have a whole week to work on my story and to enjoy Valduggery!_**

 ** _I enjoy everybody's comments on my previous chapters and hope you all enjoy this chapter too._**

 ** _I hope I satisfy all you Valduggery lovers out there with this chapter._**

 ** _ENJOY!_**

 ** _Skyler S_**

 _"So this," I said, "what's happening and what's going to happen, this isn't your fault. You can't control everything and not everything is your responsibility. At Croke Park you said something about how you don't want to drag me around after you just so I can die beside you. I wanted to tell you then, but I didn't have the words and I didn't have the time. I'm here because I choose to be. You save my life. I save yours. That's how we work."_

 _"Until the end."_

 _"Until the end."_

 _He stepped closer to me. "Thank you for saving me," he said softly, and wrapped the bones of his arms around me. I smiled and hugged him back_

 _I watched ahead as I heard him step up beside me. We were going into a war that we both didn't know if we would live through. It was daunting, yes, but I was hopeful as long as he fought right along side me the rest of the way. Skulduggery set his hand on my shoulder and I glanced up at him. He was staring ahead where Mevolant stood with his large army behind him._

 _It was kind of easy to guess that Erskine would put us on the front lines. We were one of his best detective duos let alone one of the best fighters in the whole sanctuary. It made since, I still hate him for it though._

 _"I see that we're back at the beginning again pleasant!" Mevolant Called across the seven-meter distance between both of our armies._

 _"I never thought I would have to face your ugly face again, Mevolant. But alas here I am." Skulduggery replied just as loud if not a little sadly._

 _"What an unfortunate event isn't it? That it didn't just begin with us at each other's throats but has to end the same way. It's sad tale don't you think Mrs. Cain. Are you sure you don't want to be on the winning side of this war when it starts. I still have a spot open if you so wish to be by my side."_

 _I stared at him before replying. " First of all, I am already on the winning side and I truly don't see why you would want me to join the losing one when you alone just said it yourself. Second of all, I would rather kill myself in the worst possible way then ever stand by your side. Remember that Mevolant next time before you speak. It will do you good."_

 _"Feisty one isn't you? I like people like you young lady, It's so sad that the skeleton has his hooks in you to far that you don't recognize a true man when you see him."_

 _Skulduggery grabbed my arm when he said that to stop me from launching myself at the evil man smiling like a Cheshire cat from across us._

 _I settled at just glaring at him but I wanted to do so much more. I guess it would have to wait until this war started than I could kick his ass with good reason. Skulduggery still held me back as he called across to Mevolant._

 _"You came here for a reason. And I'm not one to ignore that. What do you say Mevolant? Let's end this how it began!"_

 _I don't really know what happened first except for Skulduggery released his hold on me and we both started running toward the oncoming army, Mevolant at the helm. I heard swords clash and gunshots fire. I saw so much more. People went flying above our heads as the elementals on our side started sweeping the enemy away with the air. Fire was being thrown and I heard men scream as their clothes caught burning the skin beneath. I lost track of everything surrounding me when I saw Serpine coming straight at me with his sword raised high above his head. I glanced toward Skulduggery that was blocking each and every blow from Mevolant's sword._

 _My gaze went right back to the oncoming threat ahead of me right as I raised my sword and blocked the blow headed right for my head. Serpines grim face swam in my vision as I blocked and parried his attacks and tried to get into his defenses. So far it wasn't working until he tripped up. I backed off so his sword didn't hit me when he fell towards me and my blade slashed through his chest. He gasped and then went still. All I could do is stare when I heard a scream behind me. I didn't want to turn because I knew where that scream belonged._

 _I turned to find Skulduggery on the ground. His arm was on the ground beside him but it wasn't attached to his body and as I started running toward them Mevolant's hand came down and the sword sliced through Skulduggery's head. Disconnecting it from his body._

 _I didn't stop as I barreled toward him and the next thing I know I'm leaning down. I was in a line of people from our side. All of us were bound and it took me a second to realize that everybody was staring at something ahead of us. I slowly turned my head and found Skulduggery's bones on the ground ahead of us. They were burning in a fire that Mevolant's men kept feeding wood too._

Valkyrie woke up screaming. It took her a few seconds to realize that she was being held by someone and she started to thrash about trying to get out of whoever had a grip on her.

"Elizabeth, calm down it's just me. I'm right here baby. I'm right here. Calm down. Everything is okay I'm right here." Skulduggery's soothing voice reached her ears and she instantly calmed down.

"That's it. Breath in. Breath out. That's my girl." Valkyrie leaned back into Skulduggery doing as he instructed as she further relaxed. She felt the baby kick and she moved Skulduggery's hand where it rested on her side to on her five-month pregnant stomach. She could feel his smile as he too felt the baby kick.

"Seems like our little bundle of joy didn't want to miss out on all the excitement either," He said kissing Valkyrie on to top of her head.

"Well we wouldn't want to be out of the circle either," She replies closing her eyes as she smiles. Skulduggery laughs and it takes a few seconds before he talks again,

"Do you want to talk about what scared you earlier?" He asked her quietly. She hesitated for a few moments debating whether she should tell him what had caused her to freak out when she woke up _. He didn't have to know all the details just the jist of the nightmare right?_ She thought to herself as she stared at the blue wall across from their bed.

"It was about a war. We were fighting side by side and the oncoming enemy taunted us until we started fighting. I was separated from you and we were both fighting enemy's. Mine killed himself by tripping up and falling on my sword and when I turned to find you were on the ground. The general was decapitating you when I saw you and then the next thing I know I'm leaning down in a line of people and ahead of us is a fire and right before I woke up the general ordered his men to throw you in. That's when I woke up."

Skulduggery moved a little and then his grip got tighter and he hugged Valkyrie to himself. "Your safe now and so am I. That's the good thing right? The light at the end of the tunnel," He said rubbing her back.

"Yean the light at the end of the tunnel." She said sighing. If only this wasn't going to end this way. And if only he knew.

 _She watched ahead as I stepped up beside her. We were going into a war that we both didn't know if we would live through. It was daunting, yes, but I was hopeful as long as she fought right along side me the rest of the way. I set my hand on her shoulder and she glanced up at me. I was staring ahead where Mevolant stood with his large army behind him._

 _It was kind of easy to guess that Erskine would put us on the front lines. We were one of his best detective duos let alone one of the best fighters in the whole sanctuary. It made since, I still hate him for it though._

 _"I see that we're back at the beginning again pleasant!" Mevolant Called across the seven-meter distance between both of our armies._

 _"I never thought I would have to face your ugly face again, Mevolant. But alas here I am." I replied just as loud._

 _"What an unfortunate event isn't it? That it didn't just begin with us at each other's throats but has to end the same way. It's sad tale don't you think Mrs. Cain. Are you sure you don't want to be on the winning side of this war when it starts. I still have a spot open if you so wish to be by my side."_

 _She stared at him before replying. " First of all, I am already on the winning side and I truly don't see why you would want me to join the losing one when you alone just said it yourself. Second of all, I would rather kill myself in the worst possible way then ever stand by your side. Remember that Mevolant next time before you speak. It will do you good."_

 _"Feisty one isn't you? I like people like you young lady, It's so sad that the skeleton has his hooks in you to far that you don't recognize a true man when you see him."_

 _I had to grab her arm when he said that to stop her from launching herself at the evil man smiling like a Cheshire cat from across us._

 _I settled at just glaring at him but I wanted to do so much more. I guess it would have to wait until this war started than I could kick his ass with good reason. I still held Valkyrie back as I called across to Mevolant._

 _"You came here for a reason. And I'm not one to ignore that. What do you say Mevolant? Let's end this how it began!"_

 _I don't really know what happened first except for I had released my hold on Valkyrie and we both started running toward the oncoming army, Mevolant at the helm. I heard swords clash and gunshots fire. I saw so much more. People went flying above our heads as the elementals on our side started sweeping the enemy away with the air. Fire was being thrown and I heard men scream as their clothes caught burning the skin beneath. I lost track of everything surrounding me when I saw Mevolant coming straight at me with his sword raised high above his head. I glanced toward Valkyrie who was blocking each and every blow from Serpine's sword._

 _My gaze went right back to the oncoming threat ahead of me right as I raised my sword and blocked the blow headed right for my head. Mevolant's grim face swam in my vision as I blocked and parried his attacks and tried to get into his defenses but no matter what I did I couldn't harm him any way I tried. I made a huge mistake when I glanced toward Valkyrie who paused as Serpine fell onto her sword. I turned right as I felt a sharp pain through my shoulder and then I fell to the ground as my arm fell onto the ground beside me. Guess I had to be thankful I was just bone or I would have already bled out. That didn't stop me from screaming from the intense pain that losing my limb caused me though. Before I could rise my sword to stop him though his sword came down on my head and then everything went dark and I knew no more._

I sat up straight. It took me a moment to realize that I was sitting in the rocking chair in Ghastly's guest bedroom. I stared at the wall for a few seconds gathering my thoughts before standing up and stepping over to the window that looked down on Dublin. It was so odd to be back in my hometown when I was a child. I walked along with old memories for a while before the nightmare took up the fore most of his mind once again.

It was unnervingly close to when I was first killed. The only difference was that Valkyrie was there and I was now a skeleton rather then the flesh and blood breathing living man that I use to be. I didn't want to think about this any more for now though and I decided on studying my Valkyrie's face. She looked like she could face anything standing beside me as we both faced our possible deaths together. I just wished that I could reach her before this nightmare actually came true.

I believe it's time for me to reveal myself to her.

The time is up and I cannot wait any longer I'm afraid.


	17. Old memories

I waited a few hours before deciding to leave Ghastly's shop and start making my way through Dublin to my cottage across town. I stopped and said good morning to Ghastly who was sitting in the kitchen eating a biscuit. He looked up when I entered.

"Good morning Skulduggery, How was your night?"

"It was good. First good night's sleep I've had in awhile." I said looking at the window as I used the reflection of myself to place my hat at the right angle. I turned as Ghastly stood up and put the dish in the sink turning on the water and washing it off. When he was done he turned and smiled at me.

"I take it your going somewhere today?" He said walking out of the room and into his shop. Me on his heels,

"Yes, actually I am. I was wondering if you could possibly suffer my presence being elsewhere for a few hours?"

"Oh what would I do without you for two whole hours. I haven't been able to live my last 60 years with out you at all. Oh my, oh my I'm not going to live through the day!"

"Oh, guess I'm not the only king of sarcasm in this world. Well-done good fellow, well done, now if you will excuse me I must be going."

I was walking out the door when I heard Ghastly yell from his material room. "Let the door hit you on the way out!" I smiled and continued on my way.

It took me an hour and a half to reach my old cottage. Of course I took my time and enjoyed the views before I had to reveal myself to her. It was going to be hard for me but not even close to as hard as it is going to be for her. She didn't want to put me in danger last she had talked to me. Adamantly denied that she would ever be the cause of my pain if she could help it. But of course I denied that by coming here myself.

I walked over to the right next to the beginning of the drive when I put up my facade. I didn't have a clue what it looked like but I thought it would be good as any for this purpose. Once I made sure I was decent I walked toward the front door and gently knocked. I could hear someone coming down the stairs and towards the door as I stood waiting and a few seconds later the door opened to reveal Valkyrie. She was just as I remembered if not prettier. She had the glow that all pregnant woman have that are about to give birth and she had a bump under her shirt where her hand rested, It took me a few seconds to gather my thoughts only to find her politely smiling at me.

"What can I do for you sir? I imagine you are here to see my husband Mr. Pleasant?"

I coughed trying to make my voice deeper so she didn't recognize me right away but I knew it was hopeless to think that she wouldn't recognize the velvety virtue of my voice when I talked.

"Actually, I was wondering if _you_ had time to talk. I have some very _important_ matters that I wanted to speak with you about."

Recognition crossed her face when I spoke and than a few seconds later she knew who I was. She gasped and her hand that was resting on her stomach flew to her mouth. She stood there for a good few moments just staring at me. I stared right back at her the whole time.

"Skulduggery...?"

I slowly nodded my head. Before I knew what was going on she was launching at me and we both laughed as I hit the ground with her on top of me. She buried her head in the crook of my arm for a few moments before looking up at me. Her cheeks were a pretty shade of pale pink and her beautiful dark eyes glistened with happiness. Her smile was nothing less then breath taking as she hugged me tight. We stayed that way a few moments longer tell I decided it probably wasn't very healthy for a six-month pregnant woman to be laying on top of a hard surface with her stomach.

She clattered off of me and we helped each other up from the grass. She motioned toward the door.

"You want to stay out here all day or do you want to come in. I myself would like a nice hot cup of cocoa if you don't mind." She grinned at me and I smiled back.

"Of course my dear. Right after you."

I followed her inside and watched as she favored her stomach as she moved around obstacles. It was so odd seeing her pregnant. Valkyrie Pregnant. _My Valkyrie Pregnant,_ I smiled at the thought and quietly chuckled as she glanced over her shoulder and saw me smiling.

"What's so funny if you mind my asking," she said as she walked into the kitchen. I followed her and took a seat on one of the stools by the counter. She bustled around the kitchen looking for some tea as I watched her.

"Oh. I was just thinking about a memory."

"What memory?"

"Do you remember when we were playing hide and seek and your plan to trick me was to get a bucket of water and hang it above the door and so when I walked into the room it would pour on me and wrinkle my suit,"

"Ha-ha, yeah that backfired so badly. I never would have thought you would have beaten me to the trick and put flour in a bucket. Ugh. That took me forever to get out of my hair. I never did figure out what you put in that."

"Would you hate me if I said that I had put spoiled milk in it."

Valkyrie slowly turned around to face me. "You what?"

It was everything in my will to not laugh at the expression Valkyrie wore as she gazed at me from across the room. She clearly realized that I wasn't going to answer any time soon and blew her breath out as she continued making her tea.

"So." I said conversationally "How has been living in the past going for you so far?"

Valkyrie grabbed her tea off the counter and walked over to me and sat down on the stole. "It's been... very interesting actually. At first I had no clue that anybody was. Going in blind was very hard for me. You never told me that the weather was so nice back here." I chuckled "But mainly I missed you guys."

"I missed you too. So... your pregnant than?"

Valkyrie laughed, "No, I just got really fat! What you think you dummy?"

I stared at her for a few minutes and then we both broke out in a laughing fit. After a while we fell into a comfortable silence staring at each other.

"I missed you so much Skulduggery, god you don't know how much I missed you. The reason I didn't want you to come was because I felt that I would be selfish to see you one last time. Why did you come?"

"I needed to come and see you again. It was a physical need that I couldn't quench being stuck back in our time without you by my side."

"But your going to die Skulduggery, I was never so important as to have you just see me one last time."

"Yes you are. But, I'm not going to die. That's the thing. We found that if I were to travel here that I wouldn't die as long as I didn't reveal myself to this time period version of me. We just have to wait until after everything happens and than we can go back home. I won't leave you again I promise."

"But Skulduggery..."

"Sweetie, I'm home!" Valkyrie jumped up and turned toward the kitchen as the younger version of myself walked in. He hugged her tightly and paused as he saw me sitting on the stool. I was never so grateful as at that time to know I had kept my Facade up.

Valkyrie let go of him and turned around to gesture toward me. "Skulduggery this is Mr. Stevens. He's an old friend from back home. Charles this is my husband Skulduggery."

I stood up and shook hands with him. He smiled back at me kindly.

" Nice to meet you Mr. Pleasant." I said.

"Same here. I hope you had a good journey here?"

"Yes I actually did. I have never been here before; it was very nice to see new scenery. " I turned toward Valkyrie who was smiling at both of us.

"Elizabeth. It was very nice to see you again and I hope to visit with you both again soon but I do have some errands that I need to run and I need to get going."

"It was a pleasure meeting you!" Skulduggery said to me. I nodded and returned the favor. Valkyrie gave me a tight hug.

"I'll show you to the door." She said turning toward the door. I smiled at Skulduggery and followed Valkyrie. She gave me a grateful look as she opened the door and on my way out I whispered "I love you, and I'll see you soon" She grinned and waved at me as I started down the walk.

I had made it to the road when out of nowhere a piece of fabric went over my eyes and I was cuffed, I started to fight as somebody started to drag me across the ground. Before I could get free though something hit me in the head, hard and I lost consciousness.


	18. Authors Note Sorry!

**_Authors note_**

 ** _So I'm going to start off with an explanation as to why I haven't updated in ages. I've had no access to a computer for the last two and a half months and I've been incredibly busy with work. I am going to update more often now that I do have a computer in my possession and I will try my best to write the chapters longer for those select readers that would enjoy it. My myself have a pet peeve like that but last year was so hectic that I found that was all I was able to put up. I'm going to warn everybody now that it might be a little while in between updates but there_** **will** ** _be updates, promise. For now, I'm going to leave that there and will update again in the next week or so. I will definitely get it written and hopefully get a little bit ahead. Again I am so very sorry for making all of you wonderful people that were nice enough to read my story and enjoy it, wait so long for an update but it was inevitable I'm afraid. That problem is now dealt with for the next 6 months or so._**

 ** _For those of you who like Harry potter, I will be trying to write some fanfiction on those stories' where Remus Lupin and Sirius black are still alive. I find myself very sad that J.K Rowling killed them off and I believe that they should have had at least a little more time in the series. I don't know when I will be posting those but hopefully soon. Thank you for being loyal followers._**

 ** _Skyler S._**


	19. An escape worthy of a pleasant

Chapter 18

An escape worthy of a pleasant

 _ **Authors note**_

 _ **Hooray! I**_ _ **finally**_ __ _ **updated again. I'm sorry this chapter is so short but I hope you all enjoy it! Please leave a review of what you think after you finish reading it.**_

 _ **Thank you!**_

 _ **Skyler S.**_

I gazed out of the room as the sheet of rain came down outside. Whoever had had taken me had been kind enough to put me in a room with a window. Of course it had bars on it saving me from calling the capturer an idiot and me escaping out of this stone hellhole. I heard footsteps approach and pass the room I was being held in. I still had no clue in the slightest of where the hell I was and whoever had captured me had yet to show themselves. As I waited, wondering who the hell was stupid enough to capture me, or smart enough at that, led me to another train of thought.

 _Why had they been there in the first place?_

 _Who were they there for because it obviously isn't the physical me?_

 _Did they think I was somebody else?_

 _Valkyrie!_

They must have been there for Valkyrie! But the kidnapping wasn't supposed to happen for another year. Why had they come a year early? Or were they there for the younger version of him? That would make more sense. I remembered many attempts of kidnapping on my person when I was still alive. It would make plenty of sense that that is the reason I was taken instead. The scary thought of them being there for Valkyrie is what kept me from relaxing in my very tight cell quarters. The footsteps were coming nearer and I got jarred out of my scary thoughts to find a small measly man that surprisingly reminded me of a ferret. I smiled internally at the thought of scaring the tiny man but thought better of it as he unlocked my cuffs and started dragging me towards the door. My was he stupid.

XXXXX

Valkyrie sighed as she shut the door behind her. That was incredibly close. To close even. She watched from her position at the door as the younger version of Skulduggery glided back and forth between the stove and the ice box as he started to make dinner. Valkyrie smiled as she watched him, ever since she had gotten closer to her due date he had taken to doing mostly anything he thought was to strenuous on her which in his description was everything. So now her job as the main cook in the household was so far invoked until further notice or at least when she was deemed well enough to take back up her position as house wife again. _Housewife_. God, she never thought that would be in her job description but here she was. She missed being Skulduggery's partner in crime in the present time but she had made peace with not being able to do that again when she found out that she was his wife. But now, after the meeting she just had with him it had changed and she was trying hard not to hope for the hopeless. To say the least, it was hard.

Valkyrie pushed herself off the door and slowly made her way into the kitchen. She hated how slow she had become after becoming pregnant with her child or at least when she got too big to go a normal speed. It annoyed her to no end no matter how much Skulduggery tried to comfort her, it didn't matter. She was fat and that was that. After the news the Skul had delivered she was looking forward to be able to hit the gym and get rid of it when she got back.

She sat down and watched Skulduggery almost burn the chicken he was cooking when she felt a sudden pain go through her abdomen. She gasped and her hand flew to her stomach as Skulduggery looked up from the chicken he was trying to save and run over, successfully turning it black.

He kneeled down in front of her as a rebel tear made it down her cheek slowly, but she didn't really care, she was in too much pain.

"Eliza? Whats wrong?"

"It… Hurts…" She gasped,

"What hurts dear? Tell me, please?"

"The baby… I think it's… Coming!... OH GOD HELP ME!"

"ELIZA? ELIZABETH PLEASANT TALK TO ME!" Skulduggery screamed as Valkyrie slid into the welcoming world of unconsciousness as the pain became too much. He shook her slightly but she didn't come too. He quickly ran his hand through his hair as he looked around for his coat. He jumped up as he spotted it by the back door. Quickly grabbing It and putting it on before picking his unconscious pregnant wife and getting comfortable on the sofa he ran out of the room not even putting the saddle on his horse as he got on and spurred it to go as fast as possible towards town to find Doctor grouse.

XXXXX

I almost laughed when I saw the guards' confused expressions as he searched my empty cell. It was almost impossible for me when I locked him in and he realized what had happened because of his own stupidity. Once that task was over I started looking around. There was a corridor going both to the left and right of me. I had no clue where either one led too but when the stupid guard that was now locked in my cell walked pass, it sounded like they were coming from the right. Right it is then. After a few minutes of walking the corridor opened up into an oval room which had 4 doors. Well crap. That wasn't going to be easy. I glanced back behind me briefly debating going the other way but thought better of it. There are only 4 doors after all. I hesitated before stepping up to the door right next to me. I opened it slowly to find a small room with a haggard mop and a tiny broom along with a few dusting clothes scattered on the small floor. A broom closet. I silently shut it back even though I wanted to slam it. There were still three doors after all. I stepped up to the next door that looked a little bit fancier than the others. I stopped to stare at it before trying to open it. It was locked. Oh well, it was too fancy to be an exit anyway. It was probably a throne room with my luck so far today. I turned to the haggard wooden door on the opposite wall of the one I just tried and opened it a little bit more quickly. It was a medium size room with all sorts of instruments in it. Instruments meant for torture. Well, whoever this guy was definitely needs to get his priority's straight. They weren't even taken care of that well! Seriously. I closed the door after being amazed by the quantity of them and disgusted of the poor care of them.

I turned to the other door which was just a regular wooden door. Nothing special about it at all. I wanted to get this over with but just the simplicity of the door made me wonder what was behind it. Of course I could have opened the door and found out but after being held in a cell with nothing left but my thoughts weren't the best idea for my sanity. And so I found myself still staring at the door as the door behind me opened to reveal a tall man with dark black hair. Crystal green eyes and a hand that looked like the skin on it had been put through a grinder. I turned as the pain hit me to find him staring at me with glee. I glanced behind him as I fell to find that I was correct in guessing that it was a throne room. That was the last thought as I fell in

laughed as he watched the man fall to his knees. He wasn't Skulduggery but he was found at the pleasant household so that would do. As he ordered the brainless wonders of a man made out of paper to drag him into the throne room he had just left he thought to himself. _That really was an escape worthy of a pleasant._


	20. A new experience

**_Authors Note._**

 ** _Here is a new chapter. I'm still trying to get my life organized and it's taking me a little bit but like I said this story is one of my main priority's and I'm going to see it to the end even if it kills me. Just a warning for those who don't care for cursing and a little bit of anguish, this is one of those chapters and if you don't like it don't read it. You don't have to too understand what happens. You'll find out what happened in the next chapter without all the gory details. There is no gore just so you know ; D anyways. Thanks for all of your support through this story even though I abandoned you there for a little bit. I truly am sorry._**

 ** _Punzie lupin A.K.A Skyler S._**

Pain. God the pain. That was all Valkyrie could feel as she slowly came to the world of consciousness. It took her a few moments to realize she was lying on the couch with the light blanket that usually was on the back of the couch laying over her. She glanced around trying to stay calm as another wave of agony washed over her again. She couldn't see Skulduggery anywhere so she tried standing up gently pushing the blanket off and trying to stand. She didn't make it very far before she had to sit back down. Valkyrie mentally sighed as she realized there was no way in hell that she was going anywhere anytime soon.

"Skulduggery!" she called, hoping that he was just upstairs. There was no reply so he definitely wasn't in the house. He would have immediately come if he was. _He might be out in the barn with the horses_ She thought to herself. She tried to look at the barn from her position on the couch but all she was able to see was the corner of the roof. That sure as hell wasn't going to help her any. She gripped her swollen abdomen again as another wave of pure torture overcame her again. _When was this going to end?!_ She got little relief as she waited for Skulduggery to show again. Going through wave after wave of pain was very hard to do. Especially when it didn't stop. For what seemed like days later the front door opened to reveal Skulduggery who immediately ran into the room and over to Valkyrie who was barely able to hang on to consciousness. He kneeled down beside her just to be shoved to the side by Kenspeckle grouse as he came into the room to look over his patient. Skulduggery gripped Valkyries hand as Kenspeckle gently put pressure on different spots of Valkyrie's abdomen. He stopped when she gasped in pain.

"Elizabeth? What hurts?" he asked her softly.

"Ev… Ev… Everything." She replied as she fought her way through it.

"Does it come in waves? Or does it just keep going?"

"Waves. It… Comes in… Waves." She said gritting her teeth. Kenspeckle looked up at Skulduggery with an undiscernible expression on his face. He then looked back at his patient.

"Elizabeth. You were correct in telling Skulduggery that the baby is coming but it's stuck. We need to do surgery to get it out so it doesn't suffocate. Can you hold on for a little bit longer so I can get to town and grab the supplies I need? Skulduggery is staying here to be with you and I should be back very soon." The only reply was a grunt from Valkyrie. Skulduggery gripped her hand tighter. Kenspeckle nodded at Skulduggery as he stood up gathering his coat. He left the house just as he heard Valkyrie groan in pain and Skulduggery asking what he could do to help.

"Just hold on Valkyrie, please just hold on." He mumbled as he got on his horse and made his way into town as fast as he could.

XXXXX

When Kenspeckle arrived again he found the living room empty. He looked around but didn't see either Valkyrie or Skulduggery.

"Skulduggery!" he yelled "Are you here?"

"Upstairs in the bedroom!" Came a distraught reply. Kenspeckle grabbed his bag and the stuff he needed and made his way quickly up to the master bedroom where he found Skulduggery sitting on the bed holding a cold cloth to Valkyrie's head who was now moaning in pain. Skulduggery looked up to him with pleading eyes. Kenspeckle stepped over and set his stuff on the bedside table as he started ordering Skulduggery to gather stuff for the surgery.

"I need fresh towels. A bucket of ice cold water and a blanket." He said as he took over the cold cloth from Skulduggery so he could go grab what Kenspeckle needed. Valkyrie whimpered as he removed the blanket. He leaned down trying to warm her up by lighting the oil lamp that also stood on the bedside table. He leaned down as she whimpered again and started quietly talking.

"Valkyrie. This is going to hurt like hell okay?" She grunted in response, "I'll try my best to stop the pain from getting too bad but you will feel a little bit of it. You're going to have to stay awake through this though Valkyrie. I'm sorry but we can't let you go to sleep. After we get the baby out though you will need your rest and can go to sleep then. Can you do that for me Valkyrie?" She slowly nodded her head. "Okay stay with me and Skulduggery okay?" She nodded again gritting her teeth as more pain came upon her. Kenspeckle stood back and went back to sponging her head when Skulduggery walked in with everything he was asked to get. He sat the towels on the edge of the bed and stuck the bucket full of water by the head of the bed and next to Valkyrie. He sat down slowly next to her and leaned down to hug her lightly.

"You're going to be all right. Everything is going to work out perfectly and in a few hours we're going to have a perfect little boy. I love you so much Elizabeth. I will until the day I die and even after. I hope you understand that because if you don't I'll just have to annoy you with my romantic antics more when you're feeling better."

"You… wouldn't… Dare." Valkyrie said quietly as the pain slowly receded for the moment.

"You know I would." Skulduggery replied cheekily as he brushed away a stray hair from Valkyrie's forehead.

"And how… how do you know it's a bo… boy?" she replied trying to glare at her husband but not succeeding.

"Because I know things."

"Last I checked… you weren't Saracen."

"Shhhh, Quit being cheeky."

"Cheeky am I? Than… Thank you for that."

"No problem. That is my specialty after all."

"I'm sorry to interrupt but we have to start now so we can get your baby out. I think it's about ready and we can't let it have a chance to start suffocating."

"I thought you said it was already stuck?" Skulduggery asked looking up at Kenspeckle as Valkyrie tried to say the same thing he had.

"I did. I meant If it were to keep going it would be stuck, that's they pain that you were feeling was where it was pushing the wrong way."

"Oh." Valkyrie said wincing as the pain started to come back. "Well we better… get it… get it done now… shouldn't … w…we?"

"Yes, we should." Kenspeckle said quietly as he got the instruments ready. Before they could start though a knock came from downstairs. Skulduggery ignored it but Kenspeckle couldn't' take it anymore as whoever it was wouldn't go away.

"Are you going to get that Mr. Pleasant?" He ground out. Skulduggery looked up with a confused look and then realized that somebody was knocking. He quickly jumped up to go downstairs and answer the door.

"Who do you… think it is?" Valkyrie asked Kenspeckle. He looked up from what he was doing to answer. "I don't know dear, but you need to get comfortable. Would you like some help?" she nodded and Kenspeckle leaned down to help her when the door burst open to reveal a tall skinny man with dark black hair and crystal blue eyes. He looked around the room and his eyes landed on the prone form of Valkyrie on the bed. Skulduggery rushed up behind him and paused.

"Jonathan?" she asked quietly. It took him a second to realize that she was talking to him. He ignored Grouse and Pleasant as he stepped forward too stand beside her. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Serpines got Skulduggery, the one from your time. He doesn't realize it yet but he will. I'll try to find him but he'll need you if his timeline is correct. Expect a visitor tomorrow at noon." He glanced behind him at the two men. "And don't die. Okay?"

Valkyrie looked at him curiously but didn't get any answer because he nodded his goodbye's to Skulduggery and Kenspeckle and swept out of the room seeing himself out.

Valkyrie looked up to see her husband looking at her curiously but she didn't say anything and snuggled herself into the blankets a little more so she could get comfortable. They must have snap out of their stupor because Skulduggery sat by her side holding her hand as Kenspeckle stuck some sort of shot in her stomach. The next thing she knew her whole body was numb and she couldn't feel a single thing, not even Skulduggery's hand. It was not very easy to keep her eyes open but she knew she had to do it. She felt a small tingle as Kenspeckle started the surgery.


	21. Losing the battle

**_Hey guys. So sorry about the delay in updates. my life has been crazy busy and i've been suffering a long bout of writers block. i'm sorry this is so short but it's all i could come up with for now. I want say thank you to sparrow ice for giving me an idea for the next chapter and the support given. Thank you to everybody else who also waited for an update. I'll try to keep up on this but no promises. Enjoy!_**

 ** _-Skyler s._**

Valkyrie tried her best to stay awake through the surgery but as it went on it was harder and harder for her to keep her eyes open. Jonathans words rang through her head as she tried to focus but it was impossible and all she could hear was "Serpines got Skulduggery… don't die, okay?" She could feel Skulduggery's grip on her hand and the tingling sensation where Kenspeckle was working but that was hardly anything to keep her awake. She heard her name called as her eyes slid shut, her body was too tired to open them again.

XXXXXXXXXX

Skulduggery watched as kenspeckle continued to do the surgery. It was an interesting thing to see for he had never seen a surgery before but it was gruesome to say the least. He glanced away to look at his wife's face only to find her eyes closing shut and sliding into unconsciousness.

"Valkyrie?" He called. But she didn't stir. He looked back at kenspeckle to find him with a worried expression pasted on his features. "Try to wake her up," was all he said before he went back to work with even more fervor. Skulduggery let go of Elizabeth's hand and gently grabbed her shoulders to shake her awake. But before he could, kenspeckle stopped him. "If you have her moving than it will make it that much harder for me to continue this surgery without screwing something up permanently. Slap her. That should do the trick."

"But…"

"just do it pleasant! Or I will."

Skulduggery looked away from the angry doctor back down at his unconscious wife. "Please forgive me for this love." He whispered as he raised his hand above his head and brought it down upon her right cheek. Nothing happened except a red hand mark showed up where his hand had made contact with her face. He paused and then leaned his head down to her chest to see if she was even breathing. "Grouse, she's not breathing. She's not breathing!" Skulduggery started freaking out as he tried finding a pulse but was unable to.

"Pleasant get out of this room right now! Get out! Or I'll kick you out myself!" Skulduggery didn't move at Grouses threat, so he wasn't all that surprised when he found that he was standing outside the bedroom door with two bloody handprints on his shirt and a stinging cheek. All he could hope for was that both his wife and child would make it through this, if not he didn't know if he could.


	22. Meeting again

**So here it is. Finally I got this chapter finished and out. I'm sorry it took me so long but it's been finals week and I haven't had the time to sit down and write. Please forgive me. Hope you guys enjoy it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this except for John and Isabella. The others solely belong to Derrick even though I wished I was the one to create such wonderful characters as he has.**

Two hours later Valkyrie was out of the danger zone. Kenspeckle had saved her right before she had gone over the brink. Skulduggery was as expected very happy about the news but he was still worried about them. But, it was not surprising sense he was now a new father to a beautiful baby girl. Valkyrie was still unconscious but she woke up a little bit after the baby was born just for long enough to hold her wonderful little daughter and name her. Hence beautiful little Isabella was brought into the world of magic. Soon after that though Valkyrie had passed out again do to the large amount of amnesia and pain killers in her system. Kenspeckle ordered Skulduggery to keep her on bed rest for at least two weeks and keep her as comfortable as could be Skulduggery was also told to immediately get him if anything were to go wrong with either Valkyrie or Isabella. After he too had a few seconds to adore beautiful little Isabella he left to return home after the stressful and angst filled previous hours. Of course that left Skulduggery home holding his daughter and sitting next to his sleeping wife's side. All in all, even though those were the scariest moments of his life he was never happier in his life before that moment and he wouldn't change anything in the world for something better because in his mind this was as good as it could get.

"So… who are you again?" Skulduggery asked Jonathan as they walked down an old abandoned road back towards town. Or that's at least what Jonathan said but he didn't exactly trust him.

"Hmm?" Johnathan replied.

"Who are you? What is your name?" Skulduggery asked again this time slightly irritated.

"Oh. Sorry about that. I'm John. Nice to meet you Mr. pleasant."

"I don't know if that was exactly a nice meeting. It pretty much consisted of you punching multiple people all the while yelling at me to run for my life. I'll have you know that hurt my pride greatly."

"You still ran though didn't you?"

"That is completely irrelevant to my statement."

"No, not really."

"Where are we headed now that you've kindly broke me out of Serpines grip than?"

"Town…"

"No that's not it. Towns the other way and we're headed out toward the country here in a few moments we will be coming on a little drive that heads to the Pleasant's household. You have a slightly flustered and fast pace that I'll have you know is slightly irritating and you lied to me about the direction so where are we actually headed and you have only one try to tell me the correct answer."

" You truly are the Sherlock of our world aren't you? Well I guess you would know about it anyways later. We're headed to Valkyrie's house."

"Valkyrie? How do you know… YOU!" Johnathan had to put his arms up to block the hard punch that was thrown towards his face as Skulduggery launched himself at him. Though his arms blocked the blow it didn't stop them from both tumbling to the ground and rough housing with each other because that was all it was. Skulduggery was definitely not doing his best and Johnathan wasn't even trying to fight back, he was just trying to get the skeleton off him. After a few moments they both stop with the pointless fighting and both stood up and started brushing themselves off sense they were now both covered in dust.

"Why?" Skulduggery asked as he watched Johnathan take his coat off and brush the dust off that too.

"I had no choice…"

"To hell you had no choice. Why did you take her? Why did you cause her to go through so much pain just to lose everybody she loves? Why did you make her life hell?"

"Because… Because if she didn't she would have to watch you die. She was the one that dies. She was the one that birthed your child— "

"I know that…"

"Let me finish! If she hadn't done that you would have disappeared. Gone. Notta. You would have been dead and not the living dead the dead in the ground dead. You would have never been able to be her partner. Never taught her how to defend herself and you would have never even known about her because you wouldn't be there. She didn't want to lose that. Even though she was pissed about it tell me if she ever once complained about being stuck here? Did she? Did she ever say that it was hell here? No she didn't and it was because she knew that she needed to go through it to save you. She loves you Skulduggery and her willingness to go through hell to save you shows just how much she cares."

Skulduggery just stared at him. Both men were standing completely still not moving in the slightest both shocked at Johnathan's little speech.

"Now… Last I checked Valkyrie was going through labor and if I'm correct on my time which I always am than she should have gave birth already and should be home. So let's go see her then." Johnathan said walking forward again. Skulduggery following quietly behind.

Valkyrie awoke to a dull pain in her stomach and a drowsy mind. It took her a few moments to realize that Skulduggery was asleep next to her and that there was a new addition to the room. At the foot of the bed stood a beautiful intricately carved crib. She could see the tip of a soft blue blanket peeking out and the curve of her baby girls little shoulder. She slowly rose out of bed trying not to wince at the sharp pain that shot through her abdomen. She hated surgery's and oh how she missed the advance technology she had in her world. But in this world she had to do without such wonderful pleasures such as better pain killers. After breathing in out and out to calm herself she slowly walked over to the end of the bed to look down at her new child. Earlier her mind was so clouded she really didn't have a chance to admire her but now that she did she noticed that she had dark blonde hair like her father and had somehow developed crystal blue eyes. That was unusual. In Valkyries opinion though it made her that much more unique. She could see the start of a mix between herself and Skullduggery's cheekbones developing and luckily she had her mother's peach complexion rather than Skullduggery's pale one.

Valkyrie was about to pick up little Isabella when the doorbell rang. She glanced at Skulduggery wondering if it would wake her up but it didn't. He must have not slept at all… poor guy. She glanced down at Isabella who was softly cooing.

"I'll be right back baby girl. Promise." She said before slowly making her way out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Once she reached the door the doorbell had stopped ringing but she could see the silhouettes of two people still standing right outside the door. There was a medium height man and an extremely tall one. The tall one looked to be incredibly skinny.

 _You'll have a visitor at noon tomorrow._ Rang through her head and she glanced at the clock in the entry way, sure enough it read 12:00. Well there was no way of figuring out who it was until she opened the door.

Standing on the doorstep stood Johnathan and a tall skinny man with a goatee and pinstripe hat. She stared at the latter until John started speaking.

"Valkyrie! You should be in bed what are you doing up?"

"The doorbell rang… Skulduggery was asleep and nobody else was going to do it!" her anger grew at the admonishment that John had given her and at the end of the sentence she was practically hissing.

"Ok just worried was all. Can we come in?" John asked.

"Depends…"

"Please?"

"Ok," The whole time the other man had silently stood there not saying a word at all and just gazing at Valkyrie until she recognized that face and gasped.

"Skulduggery?" She whispered. The man slowly nodded.

"John got you away from Serpine or did you do that yourself?"

"A little bit of Both" John replied before Skulduggery could. He just glared down at the shorter male until Valkyrie interrupted by clapping her hands together.

"Well it's lovely having you guys here but I wouldn't be much of a good host if I didn't offer you a seat in the sitting room and some tea. Would you take me up on that offer?"

They both nodded but everybody froze when they heard a drowsy "Elizabeth come from upstairs and the sound of a baby crying. She looked to the other men who gazed right back at her with faces full of guilt and confusion.

"Shit!" They all said simultaneously.


	23. Authors note

Hey guys! So sorry about not updating this, I've got a lot of people asking me to post a new chapter and I know I left the last chapter on a cliffhanger. Since I personally was also a reader and had to deal with authors not posting every week I know what it is like and that makes me feel that much worse for not doing so. I promise I come home every night and tell my self i'm going to write another chapter but I look at my homework and it completely escapes my mind. So, i'm going to let you guys know that it's probably going to be another week or so before you get an update and not an authors note! But if you have any ideas of how you want this story to continue go ahead and private message me and I will take them into consideration and probably work all of them into my story. So theres that right? Thank you again for all the loyal people that have stuck through with this story ever sense I started writing it, thanks to all of you!

-Emmaline Black


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